MImpossible: Volume I : The Beginning
by MIMitationBalance
Summary: The lights on exactly half of the globe are blinking and everyone is blaming Pitch, but certainly it isn't so simple. Two new faces emerge to join the fray. One comes from the shades of night and darkness. The other lies in wait for their time to balance out the playing field. The Guardians have a new foe to face and a new face to figure out, before the sun stops shining, for good.
1. Here and There

CHAPTER 1

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><p>"Congratulations everyone!"<p>

North had parked the sleigh and was now thundering into the Workshop. He seemed to be the only one in high spirits though. Tooth was barely hovering and Sandy was already asleep (not a surprise), the only thing keeping Bunny awake was his need to puke, and Jack Frost was using his staff as a walking stick. They were exhausted. But the Guardians had learned a valuable lesson: Never volunteer to help North on Christmas.

Jack was bored, as usual, so he went to the most exciting place he could find…the Workshop. After freezing a few elves and pranking a few yetis, he looked for something new to do. He tried to assist Phil with some winter toys that needed painting, but he ended up concentrating so hard that he froze all the paint. This got him a strong word from North and then he said the fatal words…"Why can't you do something useful!"

He regretted it the minute Jack's eyes went from pale blue to a vibrant shade of sapphire.

"Hey! Maybe I can help you on Christmas Eve next week! I've always wondered… Even better! All of the Guardians can help! It'll be fun!"

Once the word FUN got involved, there was no stopping him! He flew at hurricane speeds to the control room. Against North's protests he turned on the northern lights!

Let's just say that scouring the globe in one night with all the Guardians stacked in one sleigh is a real adventure. Sure they had done it once before with the whole Pitch thing, but that was due to necessity. Everyone had taken time out of their day (or night depending on the timezone) to go on with Jack's crazy hair brained scheme.

Jack had been the forerunner, dusting everywhere that made sense, and few places that didn't, with a gracious helping of fluffy white snowball snow. Tooth was ahead of schedule, and had more than happy to phase through a few windows so that North could save some of his chimney dust for a new teleportation experiment.

Sandy participated in his usual manner, by making sure that everyone stayed asleep when the Big Guy came calling.

But at least those three could fly. Poor Bunnymund was getting airsick over the Pacific as North pulled off some of his more courageous moves.

"Ach, vorry not Bunny. I hit no one out here over Ocean!" as the loop-de-loops became tighter and tighter into a corkscrew twist.

Jack raced through the streets, ferrying present from the sleigh to Tooth and Bunny who would get them into the houses. North would handle the more sensitive gifts of course. No one steals Santa's thunder.

That was when they hit the blizzard that Jack had dropped on the Northeast United States.

So now that Christmas had passed without a hitch (okay maybe a small hitch), many a Pooka had an axe, or boomerang, to grind with the winter spirit. After he had his carrots down of course.

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><p>At the same time, about 3,300 miles away, a teenage girl sits at her window, staring at the slowly rising moon which is almost full. Her parents are asleep and she should not be awake, let alone with her window open! But she can't help it. Whispering to that silent moon, she utters two words that most teenagers don't.<p>

"I believe."

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><p><strong>AN: Hey? Review?**

**-MIMIC**


	2. Of Dancing and Dreams

Somewhere over New England, our favorite Dream Master was drifting on his cloud. His job was fairly easy tonight, all the children had received North's wonderful presents yesterday and this gave him lots of material to work with. Upon his way South, he gauged himself to be in (or over) Massachusetts, he felt the blossoming dream of a teenager. Those did not usually reach him, due to their lack of belief, but it was his job to give dreams to all unlike the other Guardians who help only children. Sandy specialized in children, but he helped all. So he reached out to this teen girl, hopping into her consciousness.

It was unlike most dreams he had seen, or created. There was no flying or getting of a most desired wish, no this was interesting. Her thoughts were not jumbled or out of focus, they were a steady stream and so Sandy watched using only his magic to make the dream bloom, not adding anything, but just watching.

Out of a silvery mist came the slim figure of a girl, and she was dancing to a flowing melody. She reminded him of water, that is if water could do ballet. On graceful feet she whirled around the on a cloud, melting into the it, or freezing into perfect positions. Surrounded by ribbons of blue, her body seemed surreal.

The blue ribbons dissolved into a dense surrounded everything and Sandman could see nothing. He was startled and put on his guard. Pitch must be getting bold to invade a dream that he was clearly observing. But when the smoke cleared, it was not Pitch, but this strange dreamer had set the scene on fire, quite literally, and was now dancing amongst the flames unscathed. The music had become intense and powerful. The mysterious girl was now performing stunning jumps, and was leaping off the ground. She seemed to sparkle. After a captivating lift in which she switched her legs in midair, she touched down...and froze.

Slowly rising, she pivoted and for a moment Sandman thought they had made eye contact. But they could not have. He was merely an observer, she could not see him surely. His eyes lifted and she had vanished. So had the flames. Now the setting had darkened and from what was a bright song, came a high pitched sound. Sandy could not see a thing and he thought, "Now this MUST be Pitch." Yet he was wrong once again. He could feel not a single nightmare in the vicinity. Could this be?

It was the dreamer! She had sensed him in her mind and was now attempting to scare him into leaving. The darkness and the ear-splitting, siren was an attempt to make him want to go. In the time he had discovered this, she had realized he wasn't leaving. Now the full force of her consciousness bore down on him. Its strength shocked him. He saw two eyes in the impenetrable black. They widened and in a split second everything was gone.

He was back on his cloud. She had ended the dream, forced herself to awaken. He still had a couple square miles to cover but this was unheard of. Perhaps this was important enough to alert the other Guardians. He cast a large amount of Dreamsand over the rest of the area, and off he went.

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><p><strong>AN: Whew, two chapters in one day. I hope I'm off to a great start! Please R&R!**

**-Mim**


	3. Littered with Letters

Tooth was trying to get out into the field more often. During the reappearance of Pitch, she had realized how much she had missed it. Leaving a fairy in charge, she grabbed a few quarters and headed out. She checked a list she had prepared. At the top of the list were two seven year old girls: Lora and Ywen (pronounced "win").

The first house was in a sweet little neighborhood. All the houses around it looked similar with little variations mostly in color or lawn size. Upon seeing the child, her heart melted. She was dainty and had blonde curls. She had lost one of her central incisors, aka one of her two front teeth. This one was clearly a candy lover. But it looked like she had at least tried to brush, so Tooth could not fault her in the effort department. But then, oh, what was this? Also underneath the child's pillow was a piece of paper, folded up until it was miniscule. After spending an unusual amount of time unfolding it she read the letter.

_Dear Tooth Fairy,_

_I'm Lora! I lost one of my front teeth today! It was very exciting! I can't wait to tell my teacher! She's not a real teacher but she helps my real teacher! She told me to write to you! She told me stories about you! I'm gonna stay up and see you!_

_Love Lora_

It had a lot of exclamation points and was very sweet. Clearly she had fallen asleep trying to see Tooth, proven by the fact that her head was half off the side of the bed. Tooth had herself a little giggle. It wasn't uncommon for children to TRY and see her. It rarely happened. If a child did in fact happen to be awake when one of her fairies was around, they were so small that they went unnoticed. Sandy usually ended up giving them a dose of Dreamsand, before they had health problems due to lack of sleep. After a glance at the clock she had to get going! She popped the letter into her pocket and flew off.

Ywen's house was only a few miles away in the next town. This area was much different. The houses were all so unique, although much smaller. Ywen was fast asleep, although properly in her bed. Unlike Lora though, now Tooth had to make sure not to wake her when retrieving the tooth. She may be a bit rusty from 440 years without practice, but she was the top tooth fairy for a reason and in a moment the tooth was cupped safely in her palm. Another note?! She knew some kids did it but it wasn't a twice in a row kind of thing. What could this be about?

_Dear Tooth Fairy,_

_My assistant teacher tells me all about you. She says that there are lots of fairies and one big fairy. I don't know which one you are but I lost my fang tooth. Now she says I will be a vampire when my new one comes in. She gave me the idea to write to you. I'm a good writer so I'm going to use big kid words in my letter. Please give me money for my tooth because I am a good. You can always ask Santa to check. My teacher says you are friends._

_Most Sincerely,_

_Ywen_

Now this was new. Both girls mentioned a teacher of some sorts. Both girls had written letters. Tooth now wanted to meet this person. Could they be a believer? She didn't know. She could consult the others...but she had work to do. DUTY FIRST! She would mention it to the Guardians later.


	4. Bunny to King One

Easter was a long time off. Bunny had no work to do. He was ahead of schedule and was waiting on the Yetis to send him a new batch of paints. The Warren was getting a little bit lonely, dare he say it. Maybe he could go and visit kids. Up north was a bit too chilly still, so ended up somewhere in Virginia. After visiting Jamie and the ol' gang he hopped off to see other areas. Sometimes he would find eggs that had never been found on Easter. It was disappointing but he picked them up and sent them back to be repainted. No reason to waste a good egg right?

He was wandering close to Washington D.C. He would probably swerve to avoid it. It was busy and full of bustle. Sure lots of children could see and touch him, but plenty if not all the adults could not. He knew what it felt like to be walked through. He had rediscovered that feeling quite recently. He didn't feel like repeating the experience. He was about one town over. Not a lot children were around. It was mostly business people. He had debated opening a tunnel and going somewhere else, but a few words reached those long ears.

"So you told them about Santa and the Easter Bunny...Well they're kids...I would expect so...You always tell stories about them...Uh-huh...gotta go...Don't forget to tell those kids you teach about the Tooth Fairy...she must hate to be forgotten...yup, Bye!...and don't forget our chess game tonight!"

So, a storyteller tells tales about him... and all his friends. Usually humans didn't interest him, after all, they were slow and clumsy and quite boring. But maybe this one was worth a bit of time. He had nothing better to do. He followed the man back to his townhouse. He held his breath and walked through the man so that the could get into the house before the door closed. After a quick shudder he hopped around. It was beyond obvious that this guy was a bachelor. Who spends all his money on fancy furniture and from his count seven fish tanks? These were not fish bowls, no these were tanks!

After a good hour of near boredom, Bunny had discovered another fact on this single man. He could COOK. He did things with eggs that Bunny didn't even know were edible. Well, watching the man eat was not going to be anything exciting, so Bunny opted to go upstairs and watch the fish tank on the third floor. Eventually this man came to the room and flopped on the large sumptuous bed. He opened his laptop and opened a Chess game and a video chat screen. The reception must have been bad because no face appeared but a voice came crisp and clear. A girl's voice.

"Pawn to Queen four."

Soon the game got intense and although the girl made some good moves, the man seemed ever ahead. Bunny himself got very absorbed. He liked strategy and it dawned on him that he didn't own a chess set. Perhaps North could get him one. He almost lost track of the conversation.

"Bishop to Rook seven. So I hear your a teacher now.", the man said.

"Sort of I help another teacher. Knight to Bishop three.", the girl took his rook but lost her knight. "I like the kids."

Bunny glowed. So there are good people who cared about children. He knew that there were lots of people who cared but it always made him feel glad to hear it. Once the man had played to a flawless checkmate, and the clock chimed nine, Bunny again peered at the screen and caught the address of the girl. He always liked to tell a good story to the others. Maybe he could check this girl out and maybe get some details to make his tale more interesting. Making a tunnel that the man couldn't see, the Pooka popped down a hole.


	5. All for One

"C'mon Baby Tooth, it's that time of month again."

For once Toothiana was glad for the Guardians to get together. Usually it was for pointless things like North needing help, or North running out of cookies etc. But today she had a story to tell and she wanted their opinion. Maybe it wasn't super important but the Guardians could not be off fighting immense wars every single day.

Bunny had put his new batch of Paint on a shelf in the Warren. He groaned, he disliked these meetings. While North said they were important and useful and "Guardians must keep up with themselves.", He saw it as just another chance for Frost to freeze his tail to a chair or something like that. But who knows? Maybe today, something will really be up. He spend his days painting eggs but Bunny like a good battle. He was about to thump open a tunnel when he saw Sandy passing overhead.

Sandy was cruising up to the Pole, today on a large Pterodactyl. Someone below caught his attention. Oh, it was Bunnymund. Steering downward, Bunny shot up with a mighty jump and landed right behind Sandy. Sandman gave his friend a large smile, glad for the company. He showed Bunny an image over his head. It was the "G" for Guardians, inside a box, with the lights overhead.

"You know me Sandy, I hate these meetings."

Sandy Just nodded. Personally, he thought the meetings were a good idea because it help the Guardians learn to communicate with one another. Coming from a guy who couldn't talk, this was sort of ironic. But it was true. The Guardians had no idea how to really talk to each other. Sandy also liked to see his family. He did like the other Guardians very much although sometimes they did not like each other very much.

Jack had seen the lights. He didn't mind about the meetings. It gave him a chance to say hello to Phil and the elves, and it gave him a chance to mess with the Kangaroo. Maybe the Yetis could mix him up some Iced Chocolate. He couldn't have Hot Chocolate. But he like Chocolate A LOT! Tooth would argue that it was awful for his pearly whites, but the Yetis put unsweetened Cocoa powder in the drinks. He hadn't told her yet. It was kinda funny watching her freak out over tiny little problems. He had passed over the Hudson Bay. The weather started getting much more to his liking. South was warm, despite every attempt he had made to cool it down. He was not allowed to freeze Florida because North said that mortal scientists would put everyone in panic.

"He's no fun.", Jack said to himself.


	6. Mystery Girl

The mysterious dreamer, the assistant teacher, the storyteller , the girl. She sits far away from all the Guardians, once again sitting at her window. But this time she is reading. Her book is a book of fairytales, full of magical creatures. On her wall hangs a cross. She is Christian and a devout one too. Once again the moon is there to keep her company. This time when her parents tell her to go to bed, she listens. She says her prayers with a glance at what is now a round full moon. She says thank you to it. She knows God made the moon. To some extent she knows that Man in the Moon is God. She doesn't question.

All around her room you can see who she is. Her room is full of books and paintings. The paintings were particularly captivating. They were full of the Guardians...and not just them. Seasonals, and Holidays were scattered on paper throughout her walls. In one corner, right in front of her window is a desk. It has pencil and pens and all the expected materials. Along with those things, are a vase of white roses, a scented candle, and a box with a lock on it. Decorative masks and mirrors make the small room look much bigger. Everything is colorful and well matched. To some it may have been a bit much, but it was actually pleasant once you relaxed.

She talks in her sleep. Quietly she seems to be singing. Or perhaps this was just her voice. Her words were almost unintelligible, but not quite. Sometimes, her parents could pick out words like "when", "soon", "Guard...". The first two could be anything, but the final word did not seem to fit with the others. But she didn't fit in with others herself.

With morning came the sun and with it she rose. Her clothing expressed her unique style almost as much as her room. Most of it was black or white. But color would find its way into everything. Blues, Reds and Purples. Greens and Grays. Most of her wardrobe was form fitting. She was a dancer, so many would not find this surprising. School was not her favorite place. She was no dunce surely not. Academically she was quite ahead, but you might not know. She never mentioned it. She had only one friend that anyone could see.

"You are my best friend you know Vick?" she said at lunch that day. Their table is empty, but in the sunlight.

"Yeah, I know, what's wrong with me?" he said it with a straight face, but it was riddled with sarcasm.

"I thought I was the one with problems!" she was grinning slightly now.

"Having a strange love of things that aren't real is not a problem. It makes you interestingly...interesting." Vick said trying not to laugh.

"A master of English you are not.", she commented, "but that's okay, your company against _them_."

She shifted her gaze to a group of teens a couple of tables away. None of their faces looked even remotely similar but it was difficult to tell them apart. All in Abercrombie, Hollister and occasionally Donna Karon. Girls who swoon and simper toward the boys who's shirts were way too tight to their torsos and who's sneakers cost more than an IPod. Mystery Girl didn't hate them, she just couldn't understand why they spent good time on antagonizing other people. Especially her.

" Hey, are you dating Victor?" the bounciest, surprisingly brunette, Barbie.

Sighing, "For the millionth time Gracie, I'm not. You've been asking since the third grade!" Mystery Girl spoke this while not looking at Gracie.

"It was just a question, yeesh." Gracie stormed off to her cohorts who were know giving Mystery Girl looks of deepest venom.

"Ignore. She has imagination issues. Still thinks about Santa and stupid things like that," said a ginger with obnoxious curls...and gum popping problem.

Mystery girl was once again alone with her single companion. Vick was smart almost to a fault.

"Just ignore them."

It was in no way that easy. Her life was just about to get harder too.

Cal drove her home in silence, per usual. After letting herself into the house, she plomped down on the couch, with an apple. Munching. she stared out the window. Homework notebooks sat in a pile on her spot at the dining room table. They lay for the most part untouched. The girl always managed to finish her homework during class, even though she didn't have any free periods in her schedule.

She wasted an hour just staring off into the distance.

Her phone buzzed by her side and she lazily checked it.

"Gotta cncl on game nite. Math squads got a mting." Vick's face flashed above the message. Mim tossed the phone down on the sofa. Third time this month.

Her father was home promptly at 5:30. She ate a small dinner of leftovers and more leftovers and then changed into her uniform for dance. Ballet night. She ribboned up her ankles and then prepared for the enjoyable masochism ahead.

During plies she absently drifted out the window. Her teacher had declared today Leg Day, so barre was going to twice as long and twice as painful. She dreaded the coming of developees. Her Hamstrings bruned at the thought. The girl dances 12 hours a week if not more. But lately it seemed that despite how much she loved what she did, she always wanted to be where she was not. If she was at school she wanted to be at home. Once home she wanted to be at dance, at dance she wished for school time. Each had merits that everytime she looked forward to them, the demerits came to remind her why she wanted to be somewhere else.

Not the brightest outlook, but it wasn't something she could easily change.

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><p><strong>AN:I try not to put these but a shout out to Caithlinn13 for being my first follower! Please R&R! I'm sorry if the exposition is boring. All my good ideas are after all the characters are introduced!**


	7. Wait What now?

"Mate, I don't know why you make me come to these meetings?"

"Bunny...is necessary. Guardians must...what is word? Ah! Yes, catch up!"

"Whatsa matter Cottontail, don't like seeing your folks!"

"Oh Jack, don't start a fight, we need to get down to business."

It was at this point in time that Sandy put everyone straight to sleep. About fifteen minutes later when everyone woke up, the mood had diffused a little bit. Everyone sat down and after many awkward "How are you's" and "Oh I'm fine's" they finally started to talk about important things. A batch of Bunny's best eggs had gone missing and Tooth was having a quarter shortage.

"All I have a dollar coins and no one uses those anymore!"

North was still in the planning stage of next Christmas so he had little to say or add to the stream of conversation.

Jack shared a recent anecdote from a visit with Jamie where he made a snowball so big that it had taken down three of the kids at once. But they had gotten their revenge. Al 7 of them had swarmed around Jack until he had a veritable tutu of kids around his waist. They pulled him down and began to cover him snow. Harmless as it was to him, he struggled to get free from them and get back to the fight, but they had other plans. Pippa and Cupcake had covered his entire lower half with snow.

The children had argued about what to sculpt over his legs. The girls wanted to make him a merman, but the boys thought that it was a stupid idea and wanted to make him a human with a dragon body. In the end, Jack ended up with a mermaid tail with a dragon's tail sticking oddly out from the side.

Jack reenacted the struggle much to the enjoyment of the elves and Tooth who clapped her hands at his silly impersonations of all the kids. He strode all tall and proud whn being Jamie and made pretend glasses when he was Monty. His constant switch between Caleb and Claude left everyone laughing though.

After Jack's performance which earned him a round of applause from the small assembled audience, a calm fell over the group. And then silence, and then an awkwardness to think it was palpable.

In an uncomfortable silence when the Yetis had gone to get more cookies, Sandy finally brought up his strange story about the dreamer he had encountered.

"You say she push you out with mind?" North did not look the least bit perturbed, "How did she do it? You must know."

Sandy just shook his head flicking bits of sand everywhere. A couple nearby elves collapsed in slumber. Bunny and Jack were not exactly paying attention as Jack had frozen Bunny's large feet to the floor. But they did hear Tooth's panic attack.

"Omigosh what does this mean could it be that she could be a spirit and we don't know it is she a threat did she get sent by Pitch how are we supposed to handle this situation!"

"Tooth calm down, Sandy...you say they ended dream when she saw you? Perhaps they recognize you!"

Sandy shrugged and a large question mark formed over his head. This jogged Tooth's memory(ha-ha irony). She depicted her odd evening with the two letters and the storytelling teacher. Furrows starting forming in North's brow as he pondered the two stories. Bunny began to pick up on it too.

"Storyteller?"

Now it was Bunny's turn to recount his experience with the fish loving, chess playing, super cooking, business man. He went into great detail about the girl on the other line during the game and how she liked kids. Could they be discussing the same person?

"Wait...this is a teenage girl we're talking about?!" Jack's voice sliced through the jumble of noise.

"Yes Jack, is that of importance?" North sounded worried.

"No...No... it just doesn't seem like the thing teenage girls do, ya know, messing with Guardians..."

"I don't think it was intentional, she just seems to be making an impression that's all." Tooth had gone into Mother Mode.

"Yeah mate, it was probably just a coincidence."

"Okay maybe, but-"

"Got a problem with teenage girls mate?" Bunny joked, thumping him on the back.

"No it's just that they aren't usually in my crowd." he retaliated, trying to save face.

"I'm sure you're a safe bird. Teens don't believe and girls are more trouble than you can handle." Bunny laughed. Tooth gave him the side-eye.

North was now coming out of his pensive silence.

"Coincidence or not, she is person of interest. We go and look into this. TO THE SLEIGH!"

He looked around for signs of protest. He glanced to Bunny expecting an explosive negative reaction. But everyone just got up and hopped, flew, or floated in the direction of the reindeer stables. They had to admit it, they were all burning with curiosity. Who was getting their attention, without even trying. They never thought to ask if the hand of Man in the Moon was involved. But then again they never do.

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><p><strong>AN: Hello. Well, I seem to be updating a lot...meh. I hope you like the chapter and please R&R. This is where it starts getting exciting! ;D**

**-Mim**


	8. Stakeout

**7:30pm**

The Guardians have landed the Sleigh in a nearby electricity easement (alley). They are now making their way to the girl's house.

**7:45pm**

The girl returns from an evening activity. The Guardians hid in the trees.

**8:00pm**

Girl eats a late dinner and goes upstairs. Guardians try to maneuver their way to her window in the back of the house. They threw glares at Jack for planting a solid foot of snow on the ground a few days previously. Tooth and a few fairies were clumsily lifting Bunny and Sandy had to conjure a platform for North so that none of them left footprints.

**8:30pm**

Light clicks on in the girl's room. Sandy produces five platforms so that they could all observe her.

"No, no sand. It glows, girl might see us" North was being ridicules. Wasn't he?

Bunny sighed and found a ladder under the porch and set it sideways so that he and North could climb up the two sides.

"Now, to Jack and Bunny, no arguments, ve must quiet."

"I won't do anything as long as that bloody moron doesn't do any funky frost business-mmffff..." Bunny's rant was cut off by a large sand hand over his mouth.

This earning Sandy a grateful nod from North.

"Jack? You understand?...Jack?...Jack..." North glanced around. This could not be good.

"He probably got busy with a snow angel, it's okay." Tooth didn't want this to turn bad.

**9:00pm**

Girl's lights have gone out. Guardians (minus Jack) are trying to get to her window to see what they could.

They managed to smoosh all of their faces together and got a pretty good view because their was a mirror covering a whole wall of her room. It was dark and the details were lost to the shadows but one aspect was very clear to group. No one was in the bed.

"Vhat! How... where is she?" North was having difficulty getting the words out in the correct order.

"Maybe she left the room and cut the lights?" Bunny suggested.

"She could be in bed but we just..." Tooth abandoned her futile argument. The bed was without a doubt empty.

**9:15pm**

For a full fifteen minutes the three Guardians with the ability to verbally voice their thoughts were whisper fighting (with no need to whisper) on where the girl could have evaporated to. Sandy eventually brandished his large sand hand and smacked the trio. The flashes of symbols over his head were punctuated by a large arrow pointing to a feature in the obviously vacant room. There was a second window and it was open. The pane was coated with a light layer of frost.

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><p><strong>AN: I know I have readers! There's a little number on my account that says so. But no reviews! Please R&R! Feedback feeds me! **

**-Mim**


	9. Double 00 Date

**7:30pm**

"Fifteen more minutes" she thinks, "then I can go home."

**7:45pm**

Her mom pulls into the driveway, parking close to the house in the event of the impending snow. She opens the passenger door and hops out, not even slipping an inch on the asphalt which is covered in slick ice. She inserts her key into the lock of the door and pushes her full weight, which is not very much, against it to get the frozen hinges to move.

**8:00pm**

Reheated pork chops can be good. They can. But they are better dipped in applesauce. She finishes her food and puts her plate by the sink and puts in the dishwasher under her mother's critical eye.

**8:30pm**

A good shower never goes amiss but now it was time to relax...and what was that racket outside?! She sees a flash of gold and hears a muffled voice. Through the mirror she sees the top of Tooth's head, distorted by the light reflected from inside her room. She recognizes the feathers, and the gold...and was that frost crawling up the other window in her room? She walked over to the window with the frost, the one just above her desk. An unmistakable mop of white hair stood out against the fresh snow he had undoubtedly caused. She opened her window.

"Do you linger around windows often?"

"No this is a first, or second time." Jack was grinning. This was the first time he had seen her. He doubted even the other Guardians had seen her face up close. Her features had an exotic appearance he could not place and mochoa brown hair pulled into a high ponytail. Her eyes were boring into him like she was trying to know his secrets. Her mouth and lips were not grinning like his.

"My friends are trying to spy on you."

"I know." her emotions were still masked and hidden.

"They tend to get carried away, next thing you know they're going to stuff you in a sack and teleport you off to be interrogated." Jack treaded carefully.

The corners of her mouth turned up slightly. It wasn't quite a smile, her eyes betrayed her happiness.

"Don't they have better thing to do?" she gave up on her straight face and showed a row of straight teeth with surprisingly pointy canines.

"Well they needed a little action after the whole Pi...anyway, shall I save you from a night of disturbed sleep?"

**9:00pm**

"Sooooooo, where are we going?" she's holding onto him from behind as he flew over the trees.

"Where can we wait out my CIA wannabes?" Jack hovered on the wind.

"There's a beach down there."

He glided down and once her feet reached the cold sand she let go and giggled. The Wind had made large ringed waves and Jack had frozen right before they crashed.


	10. The Name Game

It was not a date. There was nothing going on. He was just saving her from a potentially difficult evening. But somewhere in the mix he brought her back so she could grab her coat. A little later on he mentioned the North pole. Things sort of snowballed. Not that there were snowballs involved. With occasional stops in upper Canada and a drive thru window in Alaska, Jack managed to carry her all the way to the Workshop. Phil just put his hand over his eyes and let them in. If Phil didn't see it, then he couldn't be blamed for it. The place was huge, so the two just kept to the globe room, discussing what the faces of the startled Guardians might have looked like.

"I bet you a popsicle that Bunny's ears went in separate directions!" she had a cookie in one hand and was waving the other for dramatic effect. "Kangaroo was probably twitching, he does that when he's especially irked!" Jack had waved the arm with the magic winter staff and there was now a splotch of icicles on the ceiling over a pair of frightened yetis. "So he DOES look like a Kangaroo! Vick said I was loony when I told him!" Jack's perkiness faltered for a moment. "Who's Vick?" The girl seemed to realize what she had said. She read his face like an open book. Every emotion on another's face came out clear as day. "He's my best friend. But there might be a close tie..." Now it was his turn to study her features for hidden meaning.

"FRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTBBBBBBBBBBBBBIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Bunny roared into the room.

Jack had been right, he was twitching. But his ears were also in opposite directions. Who got the ice pop then? For the third time that evening, the golden sand hand made an appearance, this time pointing to Jack's companion in the room. She didn't look the least bit daunted by the entrance of a 6 foot 4 Russian, a Hummingbird Lady mini versions included, a Golden man who was pointing at her (rude!), and a large Rabbit. The silence that followed was very uncomfortable. During which the girl rose put one hand on her hip and hit them with an expression that said, "Explanation Please!"

Eventually the whole deal spilled out, Tooth had to tell Bunny's side of the affair because he refused to do anything but mumble like a hermit. "So you all heard about me through two of my students, my uncle, and my straight up dreams?" "On a whole, Yes." North was leaning over her, trying to be intimidating. It did not seem to be working. "Okay, now that everything's all sorted out, can you drop all the battle tactics. I'm a girl not a fearling. Tooth's "army" stopped hovering in a surrounding formation, North started laughing and Bunny was looking at her like she came from Mars!

"Yes I know what fearlings are. I know who you are too." Jack landed lightly behind her, "But who are you? I fly all the way here with you on my back and I still don't know your name."

She hesitated, looking each of them in the eyes, lingering on Bunny's until he glance away, unable to hold the gaze against her.

"Why how dare you?" she asked voice dripping in sarcasm. "Interrogating a lady after she's done absolutely nothing wrong!" she dramatically out a hand to her forehead . Jack picked up on the game.

"My dearest apologies, I never meant to offend a flower of your social standing and status. Do forgive me." He fumbled into a hilarious bow, the girl trying not to giggle and the Guardians looking on, dumbstruck.

"I suppose I could forgive you. After all, I cannot be mad at such a youth for long.." she played on.

"Hey I'm older than you!" Jack broke character to grin and prod at the comment. She took it in stride.

"Oh? By how much?"

"Umm...a lot." he stuttered. A weakness. Perfect. She took the chance to strike. Poking him in the ribs she watched in devious joy as he squirmed.

"Ohhh old man huh? A geezer? Dinosaur!" she didn't let up her attack even once Jack conjured frosty armor. She sought out the chinks and wheedled him until he was rolling on the floor dying with laughter.

"Stop! Stop!" he begged, clutching his sides.

"Fine only if you guess my name!" she challenged. North's eyes lit up. He loved guessing games. Jack regained his breath and jogged to the Guardians who looked at him queerly.

"Having fun with the target, mate?" Bunny asked. Jack's snickering was caught mid-snort. Bunny wasn't smiling but he was definitely amused.

"She's not a target, she's a girl!" Jack fought back, although it sounded more like a little kid trying to debunk an adult.

"Correct my name is not target!" a voice chirped from over his shoulder. The girl was sitting on the shoulder of yeti who look very confused. North guffawed as his jaw, and beard, collided with the floor.

"How did girl getup there!" he asked.

"Well I-" she began but was cut off by the babbling yeti who ade gestured and facial expressions that left all those unfamiliar with yeti speech quite confuzzled. Tooth got the gist and then smiled amicably.

"Aw...she hugged him and wouldn't let go so he tried to pick her up and move her but she scampered up his arm like a little monkey!" she recited for the others.

"Monkey?" the girl said, but smiled. Looking down at her platform she said sweetly, "Thank you so much, that's adorable!"

It was possible that the yeti blushed.

"EMILY!" Jack yelled from out of nowhere.

"Nope!" the girl sing-songed.

"Avery, Alice, Anna, Anne, Carly, Corina, Casey..." he rattled off, with her shaking her head each time, enjoying the suspense.

"I go get my list!" North interjected, "has address and name!"

"Aw, that's cheating!" she complained, pouting from her perch, chattering to the best of her abilities with Tooth's fairies who seemed to have a fascination with her long brown hair.

"OI!" a voice cut though the confusion. It certainly wasn't Sandy's. "Are we forgetting the problem at hand here? She's a mortal human here, at the bloody Pole! She doesn't belong her and you're socializing like it's the Spirit Ball!" Bunny glowered at them all."

"But Bunn-" Tooth protested...

"No, we have work to do, and her parents will not take kindly to findin' her missin' in the morning." Everyone seemed bummed by the "killjoy with ears", as the girl had titled him in her head. But he had a point.

The tenuous silence didn't last however as North bustled in with a mile long piece of parchment, searching through the scribbled names.

"Ah ha!" he shoved a fist into the air. "Found her. Nym Louten, Age-"

"Sandy tugged on his coat, and the Russian looked up to see Nym crashed in the yeti's arms, having fallen for the Dreamsand glasses trick.

"Oh. Get's them every time doesn't it?" he said, rolling up the list. Sandy nodded gleefully.


	11. Imagining Icicles

A week later, Nym awoke and pondered the same question she had been for the past 168 hours. Had she been dreaming when she had visited the North Pole and met the Guardians? The people of myth and many a fairytale? As for Jack Frost, that was the part she held onto the most, even though that was the part that was most likely to be a dream. Three hundred years did not, could not, look like that. But anything is possible with God right? Or Man in Moon, same person. It was Winter Break, so she got a well needed break from the horror alternatively known as the school social system.

Sitting inside on the couch next to the large bay window, she debated a pressing question. The icicles on the house's eave were growing quite large. Should she break one off and marvel at it's pristine beauty up close, or let it remain in the hope it might get bigger...or melt or break. Her mind strayed to Jack Frost. He could easily solve this dilemma. Nym doubted it would take him a minute to create large ice structures for her amusement. She imagined all the possibilities. Dinosaurs, buildings, maybe even a life size statue of Jack himself. One that would never melt.

"Get off your butt and do something. For a dancer, you're lazy," her older brother Calvin poked her from behind.

"And do what Cal? Hole myself up in my room and practice trombone all day?"

Nym and her brother were almost never on good terms. Good natured moment like this one were rarer than uranium. They always butted heads, Calvin being two years older, he was of the mind that anything Nym knew he knew more. _Sure he had experience, _thought Nym. But she had seen him walk headlong into a wall with his eyes pointed dead front. Should this person tell her how to run straighter? He prided himself on one thing and one thing only. His music. Nym loved music, but she also loved volleyball, swimming, animals and plants. Nym liked to be balanced. She took Cello and Italian in school but she wanted to know more, especially in the language department.

Getting up and brushing past Cal, she took the stairs two at a time and closed the door to her room. Being a performer she was accustomed to mirrors. But today when her eyes graced her reflection, Nym took a double take. She could almost see the dusting of snow Jack had laid on her hair on that night. Along with it was the memory of the funny sand glasses Sandy had formed on her face which resulted in a good chuckle from everybody, even Bunny. They liked her, understood her, and thought she was cool. North related to her interest in weaponry. Bunny promised her a chess game and Tooth did loop-de-loops when she heard that Nym had a semi-photographic memory. It had to be real.


	12. One of those Days & One of those Things

The Wind was howling in his ears! Most people's ears would have been reasonably cold by now but that was never a problem. Jack didn't get cold. He always enjoyed listening to the wind whisper and sometimes sing on his ears but today he was distracted. Had Nym forgotten, did she think it was a dream? She had fallen asleep in the middle of one the Bunny vs. Jack sessions, which he had to give her props for because it had gotten quite loud. Eventually North and a chorus of Yetis roared in the key of G major in order to get the desired amount of silence.

* * *

><p>"Jack, take Nym home before parents realize girl is not in bed."<p>

The other Guardians went back to their normal duties, Sandy giving Nym an extra dose of Dreamsand for the flight. Without her being awake to hold on, Jack had to carry her bridal style back to her house. Thankfully, her window was still open. But one of her parents was getting up for a drink and was going to check on Nym! He put on an extra burst of speed and laid her on the bed. He sloppily arranged the blankets to look like she had moved them in her sleep. She had left her coat at the Pole! He would find a way to return it. But for the time being, he swiftly closed the window leaving her mom to do the lock.

* * *

><p>Now, with her navy blue coat in hand he was flying South, despite the slowly rising, early Spring temperatures. It was only 40 degrees Fahrenheit but Jack naturally preferred single digit degrees. Her house was below, to his dismay, the snow was melting on her lawn. But he didn't have time to worry about that now. He checked her bedroom window, the living room window and the kitchen window, but he didn't see anyone. Not a single person was in the house. This was not good! Had Pitch kidnapped her, and her family, just for good measure?<p>

"Four people don't just vanish!" Jack had found the closest Guardian, it was Bunny.

"No, but they do go out for the afternoon you Dill (idiot)!", Bunny had nothing to do, but he always seemed to forget that Jack had forgotten a lot about how humans live. Three Hundred years alone could do that. Bunny just thought the numbskull was being ignorant and it irritated him.

"Just go back in the evening and get off my tail Frostbite!"

Hurt by Bunny's words but comforted in his concern for Nym, Jack flew back to her house, taking his time this time around. He settled himself on waiting for her. Jack was not who you think could sit and wait for 3 of 4 hours. But there are many things people don't know about Jack Frost and his profound patience was one of those things. Nym had thought about a statue of Jack. She had not been there to see him be one however. He had hardly budged an inch by the time the family car pulled into the driveway.


	13. Forgetting the Forgotten

She opened the side door and helped her parents carry in the leftovers from the dinner that night. Going out was fun, but sitting in one spot for a while made her a tad tired. She would've like to get her blood pumping but she was going to sleep anyway. She entered through the garage and into the kitchen. After finding a place for the Lo Mein in the refrigerator, and ditching her coat on her chair in the dining room, she hurried up to her room ready to pass out.

* * *

><p>Out of the corner of his blue eyes he saw a VW Jetta pull in making narrow tracks on the snow dusted driveway. Stretching his limbs him flew up to the roof adjacent to her window. It was the same window he had taken her from on that embarrassing night. He had wanted to catch her eye but Nym had already gone inside by the time he reached the roof. In a surprisingly short period of time, the lights clicked on, the light through the window missing him by a couple inches. The lights in the room must have been hooked in with his mind because his light bulb just went on.<p>

* * *

><p>Aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, what a day of semi-fun and semi-boredom. Although dancing was exhausting, annoying, and possibly damaging to many parts of the body, it was fun, or at least gave her something to do. She clamored into bed and shut her eyes but in thirty seconds flat Nym knew she wasn't going to sleep anytime in the near future. So instead she settled herself into the chair in front of her window and put an audiobook on. The words registered in her brain but she didn't really hear them. She leaned over onto her desk with her nose almost touching the glass pane. Suddenly there was another face right in front of hers. Reflexes kicked in and she catapulted herself off of the chair, across her bed and into a bookshelf from which she grabbed her Nerf Gun and fired a shot that landed right between where Jack's eyes would've been just seconds before.<p>

* * *

><p>"AH!"<p>

_What does this girl do? _Jack thought, _spend her time preparing for battle!_His prank had backfired a little bit but the reaction was still funny. He started laughing and could not stop! He was laughing so hard he rolled right of the edge of the roof.

"JACK!"

"Who are you yelling at, it's almost ten o'clock at night..." Calvin, who's room was next to hers, stood in her doorway.

"My friend hung up on me that's all." Cal couldn't see Jack so saying he was there would do little but make him think she was even more loony.

"Can't blame him. You don't call people at this hour of the night. Just go to bed."

"Whatever, practice what you preach!"

Jack had flown back up to the roof after the Wind had caught him mid-drop. His head had banged on the basketball hoop hanging on the garage, it did not seem serious. He got up to the roof just in time to Nym close her bedroom door on her very unpleasant faced brother. This time, he gently knocked on her window. She opened it and he crawled in, carefully as not to knock over the things on her desk. He handed her the coat and she thanked him in a whisper. Jack whispered back not wanting to hear what her brother was like again.

"Where were you today?" They were sitting on the edge of her bed; Jack's staff was leaned against the mirror causing tidbits of ice to slowly dominate the reflective surface.

"Out, did you think I got kidnapped or something?"

...

...

"You did!"

"I overreacted! That's all!" He was blushing now.

"Wow, I'm flattered."

...

...

An awkward silence permeated the room. The awkward was almost tangible.

"I was scared that night was a dream." Nym's voice cracked as she broke the silence.

"How could you forget a missing coat...and ME!" Jack did not want to see her sad.

"I didn't forget. I worried. I still believed, but I worried."

"Well I'm here now."


	14. Until we Freeze Again

Winter Break had ended...a long time ago. It was the Friday before Spring Break and school had 15 minutes left on the clock. Nym looked about herself. So much had changed in two months time. Before she had been robotic, plugging through the motions with an occasional pirouette here and there. Don't get her wrong, she still loved dance, but life had become redundant. It revolved around such stupid unbalanced things. Grades, status, tumblr. She never cared anymore. She had lost motivation.

But now things were different, not better per say, but different. Nym had a secret friend who would visit her almost everyday. Her grades had not dipped but her focus wandered more. School seemed distracting and dull. But she plugged on with it, allowing the day to redeem itself with an appearance from Jack. It was getting harder though. Jack was having difficulties with the warming temperatures and more often than not, she had popsicles on hand in case he looked especially red. Today was one such occasion.

"You can't keep doing this, you look you flew through the sun!"

"C'mon Nym I had to come see you! 55 degrees is no big deal.", Jack protested pointlessly. Nym wasn't buying it though. She searched his face and saw unmistakable remnants of pain in those sea blue eyes. She hated it when he lied like that. Would he ever trust her? He did but she knew that he didn't trust her with pain.

"No. No more. I forbid you to come into any zone that is above 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Here's an ice pop, now go. I refuse to have you hurt yourself for me.!"

"What if you forget? Or think this was only a dream?" He wanted to go on but he broke under the force of her glare.

"If I have been dreaming for 2 months then I have a problem. I believe. Hold onto that."

Against his will, he took off. Several times he tried to return. The first time was three days after she sent him off. It was 50 degrees and he received a locked window. The next was 2 hours later when the temperature had dropped to a whopping 59. He came 2 days after that and received a locked window once again. At last he resigned himself to the idea that he would have to return in the autumn when things cooled down to chillier standards.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hello everyone. I love how the amount of readers is going up! Please Review! I want to hear what you think! No profanity please. I'm sure writes and readers can find the words to express themselves! R&R! :)**

**-Mim**


	15. Walking and Waiting

Summer was one of the better times of the year. No school meant she wasn't force to look idiots in the eye everyday. But if she did see them then they could have free reign on her without fear of getting detention. Sure, Nym was pretty enough, but guys saw her as a freak. The chick who likes weapons, of the chick who doesn't swear. Getting beat up wasn't the problem. She had proven that she was no weak gal.

A guy had tried to grab her from behind on her way home from school and she took him for a spin, quite literally. She flipped him martial arts style and in one hit made sure he would NEVER try to pull a disgusting stunt like that again. A few sharp words were not lost in the situation either. Rumors spread like the plague, and soon the whole deal spiraled into exaggeration. She had not hung him by his shoelaces from a tree, but there was no point in trying to crush what could not be crushed. If it made her a girl who people would leave alone, that was fine with her.

She missed Jack dearly, but 90 degree weather was no place for him. He had been daring with it in Spring, but he was not a moron and most certainly not suicidal. He had kept clear. On a rare occasion Sandman would visit with a short message. North couldn't lug his sleigh around so he never came, but Tooth had come once or twice, even Bunny had hopped by on Easter. Nothing could replace Jack however.

Nym didn't know why it bothered her so much. There was nothing going on between them. They had never even discussed the topic. Maybe it was because he related to her more that the other Guardians. Age-wise at least. _That must be it_ she thought and put it out of her mind. Thinking about hurt more but she promised she wouldn't forget.

* * *

><p>Throughout the whole ordeal God, Man in the Moon, same thing, stayed by her side the whole time. They would talk and sometimes he would ask questions. Naturally he already knew the answers, but Nym supposed it was a courtesy thing.<p>

_What do you think of the Guardians?_

_Do you like what they do?_

_Do you admire them?_

_How do you feel about their lifestyle?_

Nym considered that something was going on that involved the Guardians or her, but Man in the Moon never told her. She trusted his judgment and did not question further, yet it lingered in her mind. Her parents slowly seemed to distance themselves.

"Learn to be independent," they said, "Part of the development process," they said.

Nym did not really rely on them except for the essential needs. Her world continued to seem clouded and gray and foggy. Her single main comfort was her daily walk through the woods near her house. The trees brought comfort and the wind sometimes seemed to recognize her presence. It crossed her mind that perhaps it did. Nym did not know if there was more than one wind.

These solitary exploit were soon well known through the town. All the kids her age knew, and chalked it up to her strange behavior. She took them at the same time everyday, rain or shine.

"At least bring an umbrella!" Cal would complain, "You're leaving water everywhere when you come home.

Nym kept going through the motions of life with little enthusiasm. One night she heard her parents talk about depression therapy. It wasn't depression. Not the a kind a doctor could fix anyway. So everyday she would leave for a walk, until one day, Man in the Moon opened a door for her. Without hesitation, she walked through.


	16. Scary Signs

Autumn came. Jack was getting ready for his first visit to Nym in months. His grin was plastered on his face and he could not stop his mind from straying. The Guardians had to say everything to him twice. After fetching a paintbrush for Bunny, a snack for North and a glass of water for Tooth, he was finally able to take off and head South.

Her town seemed different, solemn. It was less bright and boisterous. Now people walked as if they had somewhere very important to be and were in a hurry. Fewer people talked on the streets. If they did, it was to discuss only one thing.

"No one really understood her." One woman chattered to another.

"I understand that she's missing and that's all." The other woman responded.

Missing!? What girl could be missing. Jack doubted that this time she and her family had gone out for the day.

"She went out walking and then GONE! When I saw her she seemed forlorn but you don't think she was depressed?"

"She didn't seem like the suicidal type. But then again, they never do..."

Jack was now panicking. He flew past the two women knocking over the item in their hands. But he didn't care. Nym's house was up ahead. He dashed up to her window and pounded on her window pane. The room looked exactly the same, nothing had been touched. He floated down to the ground and checked the front windows. In one of them was a sign. That sign did something that is very difficult to do to a Guardians. The sign scared him.

It was a missing person poster. Plastered on the poster was a picture of Nym's face. It was her school picture. Her parents were sobbing inside and talking with a man in a police uniform. Nym could not be gone. He refused to believe it. He was going to find her and he had a good idea where to check first.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hello. I'm back in school so updates may come slower. Probably I will update on Sundays... REVIEW! I want feed back. If you want me to continue the story then review! **


	17. Enlightened by the Dark

Jack did not have to think twice before diving down into the deep hole. In a secluded forest in an unknown place, under a torn and tattered bed, Jack was heading down to a dangerous place. Dark, yes it was quite dark. Quiet, yes it was that too. But peaceful? No it was far from peaceful. Holding his staff at the ready, Jack plunged into the unfathomable darkness. He kept going into what seemed to be an eternal downhill. Perhaps he might've kept going on forever if not for the chilling voice that made him whirl on the spot and see a man robed in shadows with eyes like an eclipsing sun.

"Have you come to gloat Frost?"

The man vanished only to reappear to Jack's left. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. _Don't let him get the better of you._ he thought.

"It hasn't been that long now has, and yet you return...WHY?"

Pitch now began to pace around and around forcing Jack to rotate in order to keep him in sight. It was difficult, it seemed like his eyes had to pierce through a dense fog to see anything.

"Did you take her?"

"My, my Frost, I know you were alone for a long time, but you must be more capable of words than that..."

His voice was taunting. Jack wanted to strike but then he would be at a disadvantage if a fight started. Better not fight unless he had too.

"My friend is gone. Did you take her?"

Pitch began to laugh. The resonating sound carried through the black mass surrounding them and it cut to Jack's core.

"I know nothing of you friend." said Pitch, putting a disgusting amount of emphasis on the word FRIEND.

"You're lying!" Jack's anger leapt free and exploded out his mouth.

Pitch enjoyed getting a rise out of Jack. But he recalled a particular touch of fear that had reached him here in his solitary nightmare. It was the terror of two parents when their precious child had not returned home to them. He had looked forward to the fright of the child who was experiencing this event. Yet nothing had happened. It was a true disappointment in his opinion.

"Where ever you friend is or was she wasn't afraid, I can't help you. Now leave, I have loneliness to attend to."

Jack found himself looking up at the hole from which he had descended earlier. He kicked off at took to the autumn sky, heading north. Maybe the others could explain how someone can go missing without a touch of fear in their hearts.

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><p><strong>AN: Yay things are picking up! Now I can start writing about all the exciting stuff I have planned! R&R! Danke! Merci! Gracias! BeDankt! спасибо!**


	18. Statute of Silence and Statuette

Another two months had gone by. The Guardians still went about their business, still had monthly meetings, which Bunny still hated. At last month's meeting, weeks after Jack had begun, his search for Nym, he told them the news. The Guardians did care for the girl, but she was another person, and they had a lot to do. They had aided Jack in his search when they could, but no one felt the loss more than Jack... and no one searched harder. He flew in for the meeting, only to deliver a solemn statement. Nym's disappearance had been ruled, based on the clues the police had found... suicide.

After this was said, an appropriate amount of silence followed. Jack dashed out into the frigid cold, which continued to drop in temperature. For many days afterward, Jack kept on searching. Eventually he returned to his routine, if his life could be described like that. Blizzards came and went, but they seemed a little more violent. Jack became silent in a state of complete desolation. The Guardians noticed that Jack had become like the Jack they used to know, before his Guardianship. He had become once more, the silent boy who stared out the window, who flinched when a comforting hand touched his shoulder. His behavior worried them, but they hoped, prayed, that he would one day accept what had passed, and forget his grief.

All the Guardians had a room of their own in the Workshop. Very few of them were used, Tooth and Bunny had their own places, and Sandy tended to sleep where ever he wanted, and frequently. Jack did use his room, mostly for the holding of his spare hoodies and the few trinkets he could call his own. He had begun spending more time in his room. His friends did not know why. Leave it to Bunny to sneak in and root out an explanation.

"Hey North, ya might wanna see this!" Bunny called from Jack's doorway.

"Wha... Why you break into Jack's room!" North scowled in the Pooka's direction. He was about to go on but what he saw just beyond the threshold sent tingles down his beard. Inside the room, which was covered in ice and snow with icicles hanging from the ceiling. But that was not what shocked him. In the middle was a life size statue made of blue tinted ice, the light from the moon caught it's head perfectly. It was Nym.

North looked meaningfully at Bunny.

"We tell no one."

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><p><strong>AN: REVIEEEWWWWWWWWWWW! I is feeling confuzzled! Is my story bad or good! I will put in some good ideas if people send them! I take some suggestions! Please! I may even give story challenges! Tell me what you want!**

**-Mimic**


	19. Blinding Shadows

Jack stared up at the sky. The Moon was missing. The full moon was many days away. But in the new moon, he could get a better view of the many stars that dotted the sky. The back of his head felt the ice of the lake beneath him. Not just any lake, his lake. The snow covered trees made a border around his vision. Another two months had passed. It had been almost six months since he had last seen...

No he wouldn't say her name. He would not fall into the awful state of despair again. The children needed him and he was useless as the Guardian of Fun, if he couldn't have fun. Just sitting there under the stars, he felt he had attained some form of peace. Not exactly a happy peace, but a peace nonetheless.

For a split second, he thought he saw a shadow streak across the sky above him. It moved very fast as if flitted across his line of sight. No moonlight was there to illuminate the figure.

In the time it had taken Jack to ponder this, the elusive shadow had vanished amongst the trees of Burgess.

* * *

><p>Days later, Tooth was at Punjam Hy Loo examining some of the teeth collected in the last 12 hours. Gabrielle, age 6, was very good at flossing. Josie, age 10, used mouthwash with a bubblegum flavor! Josie had just lost her last baby tooth, she would slowly stop believing. Tooth sighed, it always a shame when one of the lights on North's globe would flicker out, but it was unavoidable. She considered making a personal appearance to prolong her belief just a bit longer...<p>

What was that?

She saw a sparkle, out of the corner of her eye in the nearby Jungle. It glinted through the canopy of leaves like a small sun. She had to blink many times before shutting her eyes to the light. She hoped her fairies weren't dropping out of the sky because of this blinding power.

She had to keep her eyes firmly shut until all at once, the light stopped. Tooth looked at where the light had been only to see a dark forest, that looked perhaps darker than usual.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I only have 3 reviews! Please R&R! I want to know what you think! Things are getting more exciting and maybe you can choose what comes next. I take suggestions. This month I will take a one shot idea and put it in! So submit your ideas in the review and I will pick a winner and a runner up! The winner's idea get's put in and the runner up will get to invent a character which will be used in the one shot! Submit your idea, and an OC. Good luck!**

**-Mimic**


	20. A Door, a Window and a Cage

North and Bunny had agreed to tell no one. But it was hard to remain silent when you know you friend is in so much pain. Sure, physical pain is difficult to watch, but this internal anguish, it burned both Bunnymund and North to know that their friend wouldn't share his sorrow with them. Tooth made things even more difficult, because she was so motherly, and often spoke up about how worried she was. Baby Tooth was even worse. At random moments in time she would burst into sobs and tears, squeaking unintelligibly. Even Tooth couldn't translate for the chick.

Whenever Jack would close the door, the blue door with snowflakes on it, the other Guardians would collectively sigh in a mixture of worry and frustration.

"Vat should ve do?" North severely disliked this silent pact. Protecting Jack was one thing, but letting him go crazy over statue was another.

"I know he likes statue but is becoming problem." It was true. His snowfall rarely yielded more than a few inches and he hadn't visited Jamie in weeks.

"I really don't know North. Baby Tooth says we should smash it, but I think that is not the best course of action." Tooth hovered, her feathers in slight disarray.

"Maybe we should talk to the lad. Make him let go. Smashing will only traumatize him more." Bunny spoke up from his spot by the fire.

Sandy did not offer his opinion. He understood grief and how long its effects could last. In fact on many occasions Jack had sought him out to discuss such things. But now he chose to be left alone. He could not stop his companions but he wished they could be a bit more sensitive. Jack Frost was a mysterious spirit with so much hidden inside.

A few minutes later the Guardians together went to Jack's door and knocked. No reply came. Bunny had it.

"OPEN UP! WE ONLY WANNA TALK YA GUMBY!"

They heard rustling from the other side of the door. After several moments, it opened a crack and Jack's unmistakable blue eyes peeked out.

"Go away, I'll be down for the meeting later."

"Jack, is not about meetings, is about you." North pushed up against the door. It gave a bit, but Jack managed to hold it closed.

"C'mon Jack, please let us in. We're really really worried about you." Tooth's words reached him and for a moment, his resolution to keep the door shut faltered and North put his whole weight against it. The door flew open.

It all seemed to happen so slowly. Jack was flung back by the force of the swinging door. He rammed squarely in a tall thin object covered by the thin sheet that had previously been on Jack's bed. The cover was ripped off and Tooth gasped in shock at the statue. But she didn't gape for long. Not only had the cover been torn off, but it tipped and in what felt like a lifetime, fell to the floor.

They all came to their senses and managed to see the aftermath of he action. The shattered statue lay in pieces on the floor. The only part still intact being Nym's face. Jack knelt by result of his fall. Silent. A single snowflake landed on face's nose. Then did Jack let out a cry that sent the Guardians hearts into their stomachs. What had they done!?

Ice began to crawl up the walls. Icicles began to hang the ceiling, the floor became a sleek coating of frozen water. The window was broken and Jack flew out not noticing what he had done either. The other Guardians were trapped in a cage prison of ice.

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><p><strong>AN: My story challenge still stands! If you submit a one-shot idea and it beats all others, I will place it in the story. Post it in the REVIEWS! R&R please. Things are getting interesting now.**

**-Mimic **


	21. The Cage frees the Prisoner

The Guardians were trapped in a prison of ice. The door was covered in several inches of solid ice, harder than rock. No one made a sound. No one moved, no one could. Toothiana's wings were pinned against North's back, North's eyes were blocked by Bunny's ears and Sandman was smooshed between Tooth's right arm and Bunny's left one. Icicles the size of saplings blocked their way forward. They struggled to remain upright on the slippery floor. In Jack's fury, the ice had become sharp and pointed. No one wanted to fall. It could have very bad consequences.

"Alright everyone, no one panic. I'll just tap a tunnel and get us out of here." Bunny screwed up his emerald green eyes and wiggled his foot free. He tapped the ground twice. All the Guardians inhaled and prepared to drop. Nothing happened. They looked down. All of them could clearly see a sheet of thick ice, as well the large hole underneath it.

"Bunnymund, could you perhaps make tunnel THROUGH ICE!" North bellowed.

"I'm tryin' mate! Jack's enchanted ice must be un-tunnelable!" Bunny was shocked! He didn't know Jack could do that.

"VAT! You say tunnels go through everything!"

"Well they did until now, you oversized nesting doll!"

North swelled in anger forcing Bunnymund to gasp for breath because of the pressure.

All arguments ended abruptly when Tooth's shriek split the air and caused some of the smaller icicles to quiver and fall from the ceiling. Bunny, North and Sandy clapped their hands (and sand) over her mouth as the pointed ice above their heads began to shake. They were afraid, very afraid. And somebody used that to his advantage. The fright of four Guardians was enough to break Pitch's binding enchantment. He rose from his hole in the ground and grinned. He had plans to put into action.


	22. Almost Alive Again

Jack had flown off in a fury. He had always wanted to be seen, heard, and cared about. But for ONCE he had wanted to be left alone. Why did they have to ruin it! He has spent the better part of a day making that statue. It wasn't just a wave of his staff. He had to melt and remake several parts. He wanted her unique features to be perfect. It had been so long since he'd seen her, but he didn't risk asking Tooth for the memory in case she got suspicious. Now it was gone. He stood in the middle of his lake, already frozen over despite the fact that it was only November. He began making a new statue. Maybe if he kept it here, the Guardians wouldn't bother it.

He started by making a simple figure, a head and torso and arms and legs. He then went to the hands. Carefully, he formed each finger, on the right hand he made sure to add the ring she always wore, it was a simple welsh knot. He continued up to her arms, lean and delicate, but with muscle judging by how hard she could push him out a window. He sighed. He formed her arms uncovered, despite his protests she always said she was never cold, even with him around.

He moved to her torso, a tank top with a flowing over shirt, her favorite one with the lace back. He went on to add a pair of skinny jeans with a dragon design down the left leg. He finished he feet with a pair of lace-up combat boots.

Now he did the hardest part, her face and head. First, he did her eyes, almond shaped and large on her face, she said it made her look like a china doll, he said it made her look wise. Using snowflakes he created the long eyelashes he had often stared at. The arching eyebrows came next, followed the graceful slope of her nose. Her lips he made full, but refined looking. Lips that could make a crying child smile, and also make a smiling adult cry. With one sweep of his staff, he gave her the signature ponytail she wore day and night.

He stepped back and looked. It made his heart soar, but at the same time, it broke it all over again. It seemed as if she were almost alive again.

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><p><strong>AN: This was a chapter I really wanted to write. I did not cry while writing, however I did listen to some sad music. My one-shot challenge is still out there. Submit ideas!**

**-Mimic**


	23. Drowning in Relief

Still caged in their prison of ice, the Guardians were thinking upon how to escape. They had been awake for hours brainstorming and troubleshooting. After quite a few "hey how 'bout this" and "no that'll never work" they landed upon an idea they could try.

Tooth's wings as sharp as swords. With a bit of shifting, she managed to get them free. In two quick swipes, she had sliced two of the sapling sized bars to their cage. They were cut so cleanly in two that they didn't budge.

You could see the tiny slice but they hadn't moved a tad. At this point, Bunny began to hack at them with his boomerangs. It did some damage, but was no where near to freeing them.

Eventually, the boomerangs split and Bunny let out a stream of choice threats at the winter spirit who had gotten them stuck there. North now prepared to push with all his might on the ice. He began to press, and the Guardians began to hear cracking, but they didn't know if it was the ice of North's bones!

But suddenly, they tumbled forward and landed in a heap in... a large puddle of water. It was more like a small pond. North had water proofed the walls, knowing that Jack would have ice in here somewhere. North was the only person tall enough to stand in the deep water. Bunny could swim and Sandy had a sandy SCUBA suit on.

But Tooth's wings were still frozen and were utterly useless. The short fairy was struggling to compensate for the weight of her wings in the water. She went under with a gasp! Bunny dove, he swam toward a flailing Toothiana. He got a hold of her tiny wrist and pulled her up, bracing her on his back as he tread water.

"Are you okay Tooth!?" Bunny called out. His voice echoed across the empty wall and still water.

Tooth was spluttering but managed to cough out a "yes."

"Now I know what Jack must've felt like." The entire group went silent. Even the bubbles left by Sandy's air tank seemed to become quieter. No one wanted to talk about the day Jack supposedly drowned.

They felt a disturbance in the water, and turned to find that a poor yeti had opened the door. The sad creature was now being pushed down the hall by a veritable flood of water from Jack's room. The Guardians were pulled along as well, and were deposited in the Globe room. Tooth planted her feet firmly on the ground and walked to the fire to melt her wings. Bunny shook himself out and called for a towel. Sandy was trying to sort out the Dreamsand from the Dream-mud. North just collapsed on a couch and went to sleep. Soon the others followed. The sheer brainpower of having to do something without magic was overwhelming and exhausting.

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><p><strong>AN: Hello, me again, that annoying author who wants reviews! Please R&R! One-shot challenge is still there...**

**-Mimic**


	24. You Never Know Who will Snow up

Jack awoke in one of his favorite trees. Stretching his arms, he rolled of to his left and landed lightly on the frozen ground. Nym's statue was tucked away neatly behind one of the trees. He could easily spot it, but only because he knew where it was. Others would be hard pressed to find the doppelganger in the darkest part of the forest. He pushed "her" out into the middle of the ice once more. The slowly moving sunrise refracted through the statue causing glittering rainbows to prance across the sheen surface of the lake.

It was the first day of Thanksgiving break in Burgess. He was supposed to be expecting Jamie today. Jack didn't want to be embarrassed when Jamie saw a life size statue of a pretty girl, and Jack couldn't keeping hauling it in and out of the woods. What was he going to do?!

"Jack, Jack, Jack, Jack, Jaaaaaaaccccccccccckkkkkkkkkkkkk!" Jamie called from the hill over looking the lake. The excited boy ran down the hill, but he tripped and started rolling log-style toward Jack. He slammed into him and both went tumbling onto the ice. Jack braced himself to hit the statue place right behind him. The hit never came.

"Hey Jack!" Jamie had gotten up and was laughing uncontrollably. "H-How are y-y-ya do-doing!"

"You know me, a blizzard here, a snow day there and AN SNOWBALL TO THE FACE!" Jack materialized five snowballs and all of them hit Jamie in the face in rapid succession. The boy collapsed on the ground, er ice. He didn't get back up. Jack began to panic!

"JAMIE!" he ran over to the seemingly unconscious Jamie, slipping a couple times in the process. He knelt over the boy, wondering what to do! He looked foolishly into the morning sky, desperately hoping that the moon hadn't set yet. His train of thought was cut short by the face full snow he received. He heard someone pitter-pattering across the ice. Jamie's happy laughter rang out from his left. Jack was all game. He threw three snowballs blindly to his left. No impact.

"Ha ha ha ha ha!" Alright then, Jack going to play hard ball. He flew into the air and laid an instant coat of snow. It wasn't enough to be suspicious, just enough to get some down Jamie's coat.

"Ha ha now Jamie!" Jack landed. "You play tricks, but you can't be the best trickster EVER!"

"Great game Jack, but I should go change my coat and get some lunch." Was it that late already!

"Okay, see ya later!"

"Oh and Jack, the Thanksgiving Dance is tonight! You should come!"

"C'mon Jamie, you know people will walk right through me..."

"But it's a masquerade! People never know who will show up!"

A masquerade? Jack had heard of masquerades. He vaguely remembered going to Thanksgiving Dance before he became Jack Frost.

"Alright, maybe I'll show up."

"You're not going to tell me? "Jamie looked confused.

"But that's the point isn't it? It's a masquerade, you never know who could be there!"


	25. Project Runway: Jack

The other Guardians had managed to clean up the whole flood mess. Bunny was enjoying some Chai Tea with Tooth, when Jack flew in through the window. Both Bunny and Tooth froze mid-sip and watched... and waited. Jack didn't understand why they looked at him with such caution, such worry, such fear. The havoc he had caused was unknown to him. He rage had erased by a good night's sleep. Sandy ended up approaching first. The little man did not look the least bit frightened. He wrapped Jack, or to be more precise Jack's knees, in a tight hug. Tooth followed suit, patting the winter spirits back in a motherly manner. Baby Tooth latched onto Jack's right ear. Even Bunny left his fireside sofa and ruffled the kid's white hair. North was still asleep.

"It's alright Jack, we know you miss her." Tooth whispered, but everyone could hear.

"Yeah mate, it was wrong of us to barge on you like that." Sandy affirmed Bunny's statement with a deep understanding squeeze in the hug.

"But we forgive you, you little blighter."

"Forgive me for what. All I did was leave." Jack looked at the other three with questioning eyes. None of them wanted to explain what had happened after Jack had stormed out, literally, the blizzard lasted three hours. So they called in a yeti to summarize Jack's absence. Not just any yeti either, that poor yeti who had the misfortune of opening the door to Jack's room, and got washed down the hallway. The yeti was still a state of shock, but he managed to spill out the whole deal. He did not hesitate to mention all the cleaning up that came afterward. He didn't mention Tooth almost drowning. He hadn't been there for it, and none of the Guardians brought it up. Jack was already in despair, so they would spare him the guilt. Jack was very unpredictable with guilt. He had some bad experiences in his solitude time. Guilt hurt him a lot, and he would tend to feel awful for a month afterward.

"Ohhh. I'm really sorry guys, I didn't realize..." His pale cheeks flushed a sort of fuchsia. "But now I know a way to keep Bunny out of my room!"

"So what brought you back? Let me guess, you got hungry." Tooth was glad to see Jack so happy. But now she was suspicious on what had caused it.

"Jamie invited me to a masquerade party! I've got one problem though, no mask."

Tooth got excited, she wouldn't admit, but she had always wanted to dress up Jack, he would just look too CUTE in a suit. Her feathers perked up. She sent Baby Tooth who was still clinging to Jack's ear, to find a blank mask somewhere. Bunny made a short trip to the warren and returned with an armful of paints. When Baby Tooth returned with a plain white mask, they went off to paint it, but Tooth dragged Jack off to get a proper outfit. He didn't even have a chance to argue.

Apparently, when yetis are bored, they make things that aren't Christmas toys. A favorite "no Christmas toy" thing to do was to make clothes... for Jack Frost. His wardrobe, which Jack didn't even know he had, was enormous! Tooth had a tight hold of Jack's wrist and flew off into the semi-formal section. Hangers were packed side by side in every corner. Tooth began to sift through rack after rack until she found three outfits she deemed suitable. One was a full on tuxedo with frost designs on the wrists and lapels of the coat. She held it up to Jack and then thrust it into his hands, motioning him to a curtained off area surrounded by mirrors. Jack complied, but only because a solid two dozen mini- fairies were staring him down. That was 48 little violet eyes all with enough glare power to make any man whimper.

When Jack stepped out, 6 of the 24 fairies fainted and dropped onto the lavishly carpeted floor. Tooth looked him up and down. She fixed a cuff here and a tie there. But in the end, it wasn't the one and she sent right back into the dressing room with a new outfit.

This one was far more casual than the first one. A sleek pair of ripped jeans and a motorcycle jacket. Jack was uncomfortable with the tightness of the t-shirt underneath. This one received much less fainting. But still a collective sigh from the group fairies.

"Tooth, I look like a thug in this one." Tooth took a moment to consider. Then she made him spin right back around and dress into the final outfit.

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><p><strong>AN: This one was a fluff but I REALLY wanted to do it. How did it get so long?! R&R!**

**-Mim**


	26. Masquarade and Mystery

Jack walked under the arch which was the entrance to the Thanksgiving Day Dance in Burgess. The man ate the gate had not seemed to see him, but he was examining his watch. The Dance officially started in fifteen minutes but Jack had wanted to avoid the crowd. No matter what Jamie said, he was nervous about getting walked through in such a cramped space.

Tooth had finally deemed an outfit perfect for the occasion. So now here the Winter Spirit stood, in a fitted pair of blue jeans, a grey V-neck and a black blazer, with frost designs on the collar and wrists, just like hoodie. After much protest, Jack had consented to where a pair of shoes. But he said that he would have to approve them first. He stood at what was the refreshments table in a pair of black TOMS. Jack had told Jamie that he would come, but he did not say he would dance. He doubted anyone could dance with him anyway. He would try and have fun though. after all his friends had gone such lengths to help him get here. He settled himself in a corner while people drifted in from the field outside. It was warm for November. Almost 60 degrees.

Music began to play as the large party tent became more and more full. A few people drifted onto the dance floor. According to Jamie, this tent was for people ages 11-19. The kids were in a smaller tent connected to the adult tent. Jack didn't know if 300-somethings counted but Jamie ran over with Pippa and the gang. Caleb and Marty were there, even Cupcake sported a smile. She smiled more now that she had friends. they all thanked Jack for coming and were excited to have fun. He couldn't make snow here and now, but just the presence of the Guardians of Fun must've had some effect. They all started dancing in an area of the large tent with kids around their own age. The older kids took the middle of the floor.

Everyone had dressed for the warmer weather. The boys had on lighter jackets, and the girls had on dresses that cut off above their knees. Everyone was masked but a few people seemed to have come with dates, because they danced in pairs or small groups of friends to the upbeat tunes. It was nice to watch people have fun. Jack got a lot of younger fun, but he did enjoy the fun of kids who would have been his age. As he scanned the crowds, the people and the questionable couple sneaking out the back of the tent, he spotted a girl standing in the corner adjacent to him. Their eyes met. How could that happen? Both seemed equally surprised. Jack moved from his corner. If he was here and someone could see him, then he might as well take advantage of that and have some fun, rather than just watching it. She also began to move toward him. She wove through the throngs of people, careful not to bump into people. It looked difficult with so many people. Her hair almost dipped into someone's cup of punch. Jack concentrated until he saw the top freeze over. Her midnight black locks just slid over the ice. He moved forward trying to avoid getting walked through. He was successful save for his hand which passed though the corner of one guy's jacket. He looked up to see if she had seen. It seemed she hadn't.

They met each other half way, next to the refreshments, right in front of the chocolate fountain. He saw that she was wearing a red dress. It had a slanted hemline, starting above her left knee, sloping down to her right calf. The neckline looped around her neck, leaving her back open which was covered in black lace. The sleeves came down and cut off right beneath her elbow. Her black hair tumbled over her shoulders in straight sheets, like a midnight waterfall. Her mask was white as his snow and was lavishly decorated with swirls of gold and silver. It tied around her head with a black ribbon which blended in with her hair. Like his, her shoes were flat, unlike the other girls who had heels on their shoes. But her shoes had silk-like ribbons which cris-crossed up her ankles. She grinned, lips curled in a half smile.

"What's a guy like you doing standing alone?" her voice wasn't unfriendly, in fact it was sweet like honey, it behind it was a twinge of venom. She surely meant well, but neither was she a ditzy female fool.

"No one asked me to dance." Jack responded, mare happily than he intended. He was bit giddy from having _someone_ see him.

"Don't girls throw themselves at a blonde head like yours."She teased, "You know, usually guys ask the girls to dance."

Jack's hair was white, although perhaps the light suggested otherwise. She turned was about to disappear into the crowd when Jack opened his mouth.

"Wanna dance?"

She pivoted and glided back.

"Why not Blondie?"

He took her hand and they moved to empty center of the dance floor. Other pairs danced around them, but the center remained clear. A spirited Latin dance began to make its way from the speakers. Jack didn't know what to do. Why had he asked her?! But she took his hands and he looked down to see her moving in a regular pattern. After a few minutes he picked up the pattern and was moving in step with her. She began to really move with the music, swaying and swinging. On one beat she would plant her foot on the ground, and one another she would step as if she were on a cloud. He tried to match her grace and movement.

"You're not bad Blondie." She smiled fully now. Now that they were closer, her could see her eyes, through the mask. They were a gray. He blinked and looked back. No, her eyes were blue, like his. He could've sworn they were gray before. He must've been mistaken. The heat of the warm night was getting to him. He felt hot, way hotter than normal. A slow song started up. He broke his grip on her waist.

"Do you want a drink? I'm kind of thirsty." If she was perturbed by this sudden proclamation, it didn't show.

"Sure! I can go with you..."

"No!" she startled but only gave him a curious look.

"I...uh... wanna surprise you." Jack struggled to think of a response for his outburst. The heat felt intense. Her curious look vanished.

"Alright Blondie."

He maneuvered through the crowd of dancers. He needed to cool off and soon! There! Next to the punch was a large bowl of ice water. He took a cup and drank, refilling it several times. It helped, but the heat was still causing his head to pound. He wanted to plunge his head in the water but the thought scared him. Jack had obvious issues with underwater immersion. Through vision that began to blur. He saw a red dress. His dance partner.

"Are you okay!" concern was evident in her tone, "You look redder than the punch."

She reached for his hand. Her finger made the smallest of contact before he pulled it back. His hands felt like they were on fire. The 60 degrees felt like he was flying into the sun itself. The girl gasped in fright! Blurry vision or not, nothing deceived what Jack saw before him. A boy dancing nearby had reached for his punch cup...through the girls stomach. It was a sight Jack could easily recognize. In her worry for him, she didn't see the boy coming and didn't move in time. Just then a girl with ginger hair and incredibly high heels walked right through her, and the girl emitted another gasp. She turned and fled.

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><p><strong>AN: Lookin' for reviews. It took me a long time to write this one. R&R! MY one-shot challenge is still open.**


	27. The Chase Scene

Without thinking Jack plunged into the outdoors. The cooler outdoor air was a relief, but adrenaline pumped through him as he took off after his masked dance partner who was apparently a spirit! It explained so much... how surprised she was to see that she seen, and how she carefully walked so no one would touch her and give away her true form. But why had she fled? Maybe she thought Jack was normal and didn't want him to freak out, or call her out to his friends when none could see her? Didn't she know they were the same? First pulling off his mask, Jack pulled a small version of his staff out of his pocket. It began to grow until it was the size of his staff normally. Before the masquerade, North had performed a tricky bit of ancient magic in which his staff shrunk up to the size of a key chain. Now Jack pulled it out and the spell stopped. It would still take a bit time to fully regrow, powers and all, so Jack had to keep on running, without flying for the time being.

He chased her all the way to his lake. Just before she dashed out onto the ice, Jack reached out to grab her shoulder but missed and got a small lock of her hair. As the girl ran onto the lake, the lock of hair grew longer and fell into Jack's hands. It wasn't her hair but the ribbon that held on her mask. She stopped dead in the middle and looked straight at the mask in Jack's hands to Jack's own face. Both received the shock of their lives.

"Jack?"

...

...

...

...

...

"Nym?"

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><p><strong>AN: Hello! Did you enjoy my surprise? I made this short for shock value, R&R!**

**-Mimic**


	28. Miles and Mimitation

It was Nym, right in front of him! Was Jack hallucinating? All of the shapes and features were the same, but all the colors were new. Nym didn't have black hair or blue eyes. And Nym was dead... Nym...Nym...Nym...Nym...Nym...Nym...

The minute Jack began to think about her again, the ice next to Nym began to swirl and grow upwards until another Nym stood before him, the statue he'd made earlier, the one he hadn't wanted Jamie to see. Two Nyms now stood side by side. They looked so alike. The faces, the way they stood and held themselves. But the living version had her hair down... and was crying silent tears.

"You made a statue...of me... don't you have better things to do with your time." She was laughing a little. Her voice was also the same now. At the dance it had sounded less lilting and graceful. But her signature tones were still there. Jack was frozen in place.

"I missed you. You were gone." He struggled to get out the last part," You were dead."

He didn't realize she was hugging her until he was, and she was hugging him.

"I wasn't dead. But I did leave. Man in the Moon made me an offer. I accepted." So Man in the Moon had made her a spirit, and she didn't die at all.

"Why didn't you find me?" Jack was joyous but hurt too.

"I tried, I did. Phil didn't recognize me and threw me out and here... I've been waiting for you stop by here for days."

"How could Phil not recognize you. Apart from a few things you look like you."

She let go and moved away a few steps.

"This isn't what I really look like."

Her image began to blur around her and when she came into focus again, she still looked like Nym but Jack could under stand Phil's confusion.

The girl who stood before him was tantalizing and terrifying, graceful but striking. The straight sheets of black hair remained but now she had a white streak running from the part in her hair, down the left side of her face. Her entire outfit was black and white. Her top cut off right below her ribs. The right side was white and the left side was black. It climbed up her neck about an inch or so, but there was a diamond shaped hole that exposed the spot where her collarbone met her sternum. Similarly there were holes down the long sleeves and the sleeves extended and tapered to her middle fingers. She was wearing black shorts but a white belt, but no shoes. A black ribbon cris-crossed up her right calf while a white one wound around her left. when she turned her hair shifted showing that the back of her top had a hood with tow black and white dragons swirling across it. Under the hood, the back of her top was open, revealing her shoulder blades, which looked both slim and strong. Her wrist were adorned with two bracelets, similar to those of Wonder Woman's, that seemed to be made of glass. The surface of each was textured with swirls and designs. The only colors seemed to be in her eyes, which had every color in them at once, like a rainbow.

"Wow, where did you learn to do that?" Jack was looking into those rainbow eyes.

"My powers live in emotions, the way yours live in Winter."

"What are your powers, I'm assuming shape shifting..."

"Yes and no, it's not just appearance, my emotions govern what my potential is. So if I'm angry..."

Her eyes closed and she burst into violent flames! Jack drew back, avoiding the heat. Suddenly she was back standing before him as her self, or her new self. It took awhile to explain how her powers worked. It was complicated. She could use emotions to simulate many different things. Rage and passion could create fire and freedom allowed her to fly. It wasn't just things either. If she knew someone well enough she could imitate some of their appearance and skills.

"Once I was thinking about Calvin, and I found a trombone that someone was giving away, I could play it... sort of."

She also explained that there was a catch. She can never be as skilled or powerful at a power, since it wasn't truly hers. Her fire would never be as hot or strong as a fire spirit's, because she wasn't a fire spirit. Morning was breaking and Jack told her that he had to leave. The other Guardians wanted to hear about the ball. As he flew off, Nym caught his arm.

"Don't tell them about me yet. I'm not ready."

"I won't Nym, I promise."

"One more thing, it's not Nym anymore it's Mim, short for Mimic."

So off he went.

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><p><strong>AN: Yes! We share a name! I told you it would be important later. This is me. I hope to add a picture of "myself" soon. R&R**

**-Mimic**


	29. An Old Enemy

Jack's blue hoodie began to fade into the distance. Nym, now Mim, stared down at her reflection on the ice. Two rainbow eyes stared back. So much had changed, but she couldn't say she had regrets. Now she would never have to listen to or look at Calvin ever again. She loved him, in a way, he was her brother, but she to be honest, she looked forward to never looking back. Her reflection darkened and Mim looked around in suspicion.

"Oh how sweet. Friends reunited at last."

Mim's eyes met those of Pitch Black.

"I'd always wanted to know what you looked like." Mim smirked a bit, " Can't say I'm impressed."

Now it was Pitch's turn to smirk.

"I am happy to oblige any young lady, even if that lady has a particularly sharp tongue."

Mim straightened up, drawing herself up to her full height. She was in no way taller than the Nightmare King, but the effect was indeed intimidating.

"What do you want Pitch?" Her voice was on guard but she did not look upon him with scorn.

"I am here to merely make you a tender bargain." He began to pace.

Mim's eyebrows rose. She had heard from Jack what Pitch's "bargains" were worth. But she carefully continued to keep any fear at bay. She didn't need him in her head. Pitch took this as a sign to continue.

"You do a few chores for me, and I give you something in return. Any questions?"

"What kind of chores?" Mim's eyes turned a gold-ish color in curiosity.

"Minor things... but one thing primarily. I need to know how to get into the Bennett house..."

Mim whispered in worry, "Jamie..."

"...and only one spirit is in my way."

"Jack." This time, Mim spoke clearly.

"Yes."

"I wouldn't help you!"

Pitch was slightly abashed, but he threw words back at her.

"What is the Bennett boy worth to you? All he is a distraction for Jack. Besides, I can give you something you want!"

"And that would be...?"

"As I said, the Bennett boy is a distraction. He keeps Jack... from you. And you don't want that do you?"

Mim was silent. How could he know?

"You haven't told him have you? Young love... weak."

Mim's eyes now turned blood red in rage. Her glass bracelets slipped off her wrists, morphing into the handles of a pair dual swords. With fury, she charged Pitch. A wave of nightmare soldiers sprung forth. She cut them down with unknown skill. In a flash she herself morphed into a great black and white wolf, the glass bracelets on her fore paws. Teeth and claws were effective at dispatching the nightmare men. In a short time she had defeated them all. Back as a human, she growled at the Nightmare King, her teeth still sharp.

"You're going to wish you hadn't refused my offer."

Mim was struck from behind by an invisible force. Her world tumbled into blackness.


	30. Deployed

With the Wind playing with his hair. Jack managed to get to the North Pole in record time. The lights had gone off during his conversation with Mim. Their meeting had been only a few days ago. What could be so important? He opted to go through the window instead of the door, it was a more direct route to the Globe Room. The other Guardians were in a tight circle standing facing the Globe of Belief. Jack entered and landed on North's right.

"Why did you put on the light's North?" Jack was always up for something to do, but as of late, he had someplace he wanted to be. Mim had been "dead" for months, he wanted to catch up, tell her about all of his adventures since she had given him a locked window.

"We have problem." North's gray eyebrows furrowed over his blue eyes. Jack turned his eyes to the Globe. All of the lights on one side were flickering. None went out, but they proceeded to make a light show, flashing rapidly. Why would belief be flickering? Jack had been inducted as a Guardian a while ago, but he didn't rely on belief as much as the others, after all he didn't have that many believers to begin with.

"Why is this happening? Can't you do something?" Jack was worried, belief affected him. He wasn't used to having such a vulnerability.

"That's the thing mate, we don't know why. And it's can't WE do something, you're in this now too." Bunny turned from the circle and hopped on a contraptionNorth designed for when he wanted to view the globe up close. Tooth fluttered up join him.

"I say we check up on these kids. It seems that this is only on one hemisphere. We'll need to split up." Bunny looked to Tooth. If anyone there was good at covering the globe in divisions and organization, it was Tooth. Director and Manager Toothiana kicked in and soon everyone had a place to go.

"Sandy, you take Central America, we'll need your language skills with all the dialects."

"Bunny, take care of all the islands, your tunnels are the fastest way to hop the oceans"

"Vaaaaa! The sleigh can easily..."

"Shut up North." No one was stopping the lady now!

"Jack you're in charge of the United States, it's the only place temperature wise that can handle you. I'll do South America with a squad of fairies."

At last she turned to North.

"As for you..."

"North. You get Canada."

"We'll monitor them every couple of days for a month or so, then let's see if we can draw some conclusions."

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><p><strong>AN: I don't put these usually but please people REVIEW! I have no idea if people like my story!**

**-Mimic**


	31. A Story and Lots of Yelling

Jack breezed into the night, intending to work from North of South and East to West, he began in Maine and moved down along the coastline. He also made a special check on Jamie, making sure that nothing bad had happened to him. Jamie confirmed that he and Sophie were fine, but Sophie just had a cup of milk and went to bed, so Jamie had to stay awake and help her. As he flew over his lake, he glanced down out of habit, to make sure his home was alright. In one look, he spiraled down at top speeds.

Mim was collapsed on the ice. He raced down! He shouted her name, knowing that only she could hear him, unless you counted Jamie and his pals. In one swift movement, she awoke, pushed off her shoulders and slipped off her bracelets. This time they took the form of two handles and twin knife blades extended from them. These were throwing knives and she had plans for them. In total reflex she threw with dead aim at Jack. He called her name again. Her eyes went from lime green in alarm to a yellow in shock and worry. At the last second the knives shifted into weights which fell into the snow.

"This is the second time you've done this. Does battle mode ever turn off?" Jack was laughing despite what seemed to be a serious situation. He was like that.

"You earned it for waking me up like that! I didn't know it was you." She was trying to be angry but her eyes did not go red as they would if she was angry.

"Why were you ASLEEP on the ice?! And why would you be so tense?"

Mim was silent remembering the event that had preceded her seeing Jack just now. They sat down on adjoining tree branches and she began to explain the whole complicated meeting between her and Pitch. Jack sat down intending to listen quietly, he loved a good story. But by the time the name Pitch crossed her lips, his intention to be silent dissipated.

"PITCH!"

"Yes, is that important?"

"Incredibly! You could have gotten hurt or captured! Why didn't you run! I've told you enough about Pitch that you should run!"

"Oh quiet down! He is FEAR Jack. Running would only make him stronger. Besides he isn't that big of a deal. He is still weak, standing looked exhausting."

Jack's face darkened. He explained why he was patrolling. If Pitch was weak, he couldn't possibly be able to make a whole hemisphere shake in their belief.

"The whole hemisphere, you say?" Jack nodded.

"I'll think about that. Now can I finish my story?" Jack nodded once more.

She began at the moment Jack had flown off. She worked her way through how Pitch had came and talked to her. But she evasively avoided the proposition he had made her. Then she continued to tell him about Pitch had unleashed some Nightmare soldiers on her. Jack opened his mouth, about to protest but a warning glare from a pair of eyes that were slowly turning red forced him to clamp his mouth shut. She fought them off and ended with how the world went black.

"Pitch knocked you unconscious!"

"I never said that. I said the world went black. I was quite conscious!"

"So why did I find you asleep on the ice then?

"I probably got bored sitting there in the blackness and fell asleep." Jack sighed, wondering how by Man in Moon she was here talking to him and not in some dark cage somewhere.

"Why would you ever fall asleep in the presence of Pitch!"

"Pitch can't touch me if I'm not afraid and I wasn't. Why does it matter to you so much?"

"Never mind that. I just got you back that's all."

"Alright." She hugged him.

"Don't you have a patrol to get to?"

Jack smiled and stood up on his tree branch. He launched up and off. She followed him in his ascent but turned and flew in the opposite direction, as she now had a pair of large white feathery wings, similar to that of an angel. With a wave they parted.

Jack sighed and lost his grin a bit. How could he ever admit it to her?

Mim also sighed. How would she ever tell him?


	32. It isn't Stealing if its Mine

A month went by. The patrols continued with only one development. They noticed a pattern. From the north pole, the hemisphere of flickering lights seemed to move counterclockwise. Jack and Mim continued to see each other on and off. On one such occasion, she had a peculiar inquiry.

"Where does Pitch live?"

Jack was put off his guard. Why would Mim want to know that?

"Why would you want to know that?"

"Well, if I knew where he lived, than I could avoid it."

Jack couldn't sense an ulterior motive. There was no way he could've known. So he told her.

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><p>During the weeks that passed, Mim flew back to New England to visit her home, or to be more precise, former home. She perched on the rooftop that, almost a year ago, Jack had stood on ready to fly her away from spy crazy Guardians. For a time she was puzzled on how to get into her room, until Jack told her about how tooth fairies could pass through glass. So now staring at her old bedroom window she focused her mind. With all her concentration, she thought about tooth fairies. Their essence and self. She tried to get into their mind set. This included thinking a lot about teeth. She felt the transformation proceed. When it had finished Mim took a look in the reflection of the window.<p>

She had shrunk somewhat, being 3 feet tall instead of her usual 5 foot 7 inches. Her feathers were much thinner and smaller than Tooth's but they were the correct color. She even had wings! But those she would worry about later. Now came then real test. She had to trust that she would pass through the glass of else it wouldn't work. After all tooth fairies just do it, they don't worry about it.

She decided on just barging straight through, thinking too much would make her unable to do it too well. She set up on the roof and ran toward the window, and at the last minute dove through, focusing on tooth fairies and passing through. She did go through, but it was a little bit like diving through a thin waterfall. She landed squarely on the chair that straight under her window. It pushed across the floor a little bit, making a scraping sound.

Mim winced. What if her parents woke up? It hit her that they couldn't see her, but she could still make noise. No one came, but that was just fine with her.

She gazed around. This was her room. It had been left untouched. All her paintings and belongings lay as if she had only left this afternoon. Mim slipped off her bracelets and they shifted into the strap of a shoulder bag. Into this bag she placed a small painting of Jack, one of Sandy, North, etc. All of the Guardians had a portrait. Then she moved to her desk, she picked up a cup she had made in art class. Before she had met him, she had made it to give to him if she ever met him. She smiled thinking about how she would wait at her window almost every night looking for some sign of him.

She sat on the bed, which was still wearing the white sheets, and the thing fuzzy blanket. Hugging the closest teddy bear, she looked around the room, drinking in the sight of the place, the feel and the smell. A few tears fell.

She was going to miss this. She had missed Cal's high school graduation, although she'd watched reruns secretly through a window of a local family on the town news channel. She missed her family, even if they drove her crazy.

The moon shone through the window, and comforted her, she lay down on the bed and fell into a stupor, looking around her room in a daze of emotion and confusion. She quickly learned that that was a problem. She was shifting rapidly with each passing though. The bed had damp spots from where her sadness had made her body go all watery and in the mirror, her body seemed unable to make up its mind on how she wanted to feel and thus appear.

She shut her eyes tight and hugged the bear harder, trying to think of a mantra to calm herself down. She started rhyming.

_Night. Light. Bright. Fight. Flight. Tight. Right. Sight. Might._

The lapse in control passed after a time and she checked the mirror hesitantly to see of she was stable outside.

This whole powers thing was going to take some getting used to. Suddenly the room felt unfriendly and dooming. The urge to get out gnawed at her.

The last object she grabbed was a locked wooden box on her desk. This was what she REALLY came for. She had something to do, and it had to be done quickly. Pitch had leverage on her and she wanted, needed, to get rid of it. Jack had to know soon.

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><p><strong>AN: Hello everyone! How did you like this chapter! Please R&R**! **So far I only have one consistent reviewer. Just type in something. If you guys want something I will try to put it in!**

**-Mimic**


	33. A Box and a Queen

**A/N" I realize I haven't put one of these in yet. I thought it would be obvious since this is fanfiction but anyway...**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the Rise of the Guardians characters or universe, I solely own the character Nym/Mim and all of her affiliations.**

**P.S. I have no problems if you want Mim to make an appearance in one of your stories but please ask first. Thank you! :D**

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><p>Jack was excited. Today was the Winter Solstice, the First Day of Winter. Jack was giving the world a whole bunch of snow. Whiteness fluttered down on every country in the Northern hemisphere. He was supposed to be patrolling, but they couldn't deny him this. After all, what winter seasonal doesn't celebrate the beginning of their season?<p>

Burgess was in full of snow day fun. With all of the flurries, school was cancelled until Christmas vacation. Jamie and the gang had thanked Jack enthusiastically. The day was covered in snow forts, snowball fights and some snow cones, thanks to Jack Frost. Mim watched from the rooftops. When ever he looked her way, she would concentrate on a comic book character from her youth, Invisible Woman, and then vanish. She copied this power often and she had gotten pretty good at it.

As the day wore on, all the kids went inside, their parents had heard that more snow was coming on the news, and worried that it would all plop on the kids' heads! they didn't know that Jack would never let such a thing happen. As usual Jack began to amble over towards the lake. He intended to put another layer of ice over the top. The day he got his memories back, he vowed never to have another kid make the mistake he did and fall through thin ice. The lake was consistently frozen all winter. He even had the Spring spirit, Aviva come and melt it personally so that no one would mistake whether it was safe or not.

But today it was solidly covered, and Jack decided to sit and watch the stars. It was a full moon tonight and Jack hadn't talked with the old man in a while.

This was what Mim had been waiting for, he was alone, and they could talk.

...

A rustle in the snow forced Mim to remain hidden in her tree, and it forced Jack to stand and look around. A slim figure clad in sparkling white glided out from the trees. Blonde hair piled itself on her head in a bun, clasped with a large snowflake clip. In a short white dress with a fur belt, the Snow Queen walked out onto the ice in a pair of white slippers.

"Hey Jack. Gelukkig Winter Dag. Ik hoop dat u geniet van de kou."

"Hello Zvezda. Why don't you speak English?"

"Why don't you speak Dutch?"

"I would if we were in the Netherlands. This is America."

"Yes it is. England speaks English. America speaks lots of languages, even Dutch."

Zvezda was always stubborn. Jack didn't know why. Sure, they shared a season and all, but Zvezda seemed to be a bit cruel sometimes. Jack didn't approve of some of her actions. People died in her blizzards. Sure people died in his too but at least he regretted it. He didn't do it on purpose either. By all definitions Zvezda was cold.

"Why are you here Zvezda?"

"It is the Day of Winter, I came to enjoy it."

Mim climbed down from the tree. She couldn't wait to much longer. Pitch could strike at any time. She walked through the snow quietly towards them. Jack's back was to her. She would just quietly ask the Snow Queen if she could talk to Jack for a moment, and everything would be okay. She was 20 feet behind them and then Zvezda saw her.

Jack looked at Zvezda. For a moment it seemed like she had seen something behind him.

"Hey, is everything alri-..mmmph!"

Jack had made a move to turn around but Snow Queen grabbed the front of his hoodie and kissed him. She looked straight at Mim.

He heard something clatter into the ground. Wrenching himself away from Zvezda he turned only to see Mim racing into the woods, her footprints outlined in the moonlight. The locked box lay open on the ground, the lock had broken and the contents of the box were scattered everywhere. Thank goodness there was no wind, or all the folded papers that had been in the box would have blown away.

"ARE YOU CRAZY!"

Zvezda only laughed.

"WHY DID YOU KISS ME!"

"For fun. You would know about that wouldn't you. Fun"

"YOU DID IT TO HURT HER!"

"Maybe."

"WHY?"

"She probably deserved it."

Jack was now freezing n rage causing all of the ice to thicken and grow. Snow Queen only looked amused. She turned and walked to her giant Snowy Owl and climbed on its back. As the owl took off. Jack froze some razor sharp icicles and cast them towards her. They all missed. But Jack was too consumed by sorrow to notice. He ran to the box on the ground. He tripped on a stone and fell, landing close to one of the papers. How could he tell Mim how he felt when she had just seen that.

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><p><strong>AN: I hope you enjoyed my drama. I tried so hard to find a snow queen who wouldn't be like Elsa. This is not a crossover. R&R.**

**-Mimic**


	34. Letters from the Lost

**A/N: BIG NOTIFICATION! I have created a Facebook page for this fanfiction account. Search Mimitation Balance and you can find notifications and artwork based on my stories. All of the art is hand-drawn by me! Check it out! **

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><p>Jack looked at the pieces of paper in his hands. She had brought them here. He was sure they were for him. What had he done? More precisely. what had he not done? How had he let this happen? Jack's emotions began to reel out of control. Jack was an expert at keeping his feelings in check. How was he losing control? Far away he didn't realize that Mim was using one of her more subtle abilities. He own feelings were running rampant, and that effect was radiated across the area. Everywhere close by, people were experiencing an uncanny lack of control.<p>

Jack now unfolded one of the papers. He read what was on it. His hands were shaking, causing the words to shift before his eyes.

_Dear Jack,_

_I don't know if you will ever receive this letter.  
>I don't know if you know if I even exist or,<br>sometimes, if you're truly real. I can't ignore  
>the fact that I always have dreams about you<br>and these great heroes called Guardians. But  
>I write this anyway, because, if I don't, I may<br>really begin to think I'm making it up._

_-Nym_

These were letters! Jack checked the date written at the top. This was written a year and a half ago. That was about 6months before he met Nym, now Mim. Jack reached for the next nearest letter unfolding it with such force that he ripped the top.

_Jack, _

_Summer is ha**\**ving it's last days.  
>Though I und<strong>**erstand that you  
>are Winter a<strong>**nd I won't see any  
>snow for a f<strong>\<strong>ew months, I would  
>ask you if there is a Summer<br>embodiment, or spirit. But until  
>I see your white hair...<em>

_-Nym_

Through the awful guilt and pain Jack felt, Mim had managed to make him laugh. He recalled that the Summer spirit's name was Pelagia. Mythos, the spiritual embodiment of legend (a serious gossip), said her face was bright and warm as the summer sun, but Jack had never crossed paths with her. It wasn't that big of a surprise really. Jack scanned through the rest of the letters. Every single one was addressed to him and signed by Nym. They went as far back as 2 years or so. He found a single one that Nym had apparently written as a very young child. It said she would always believe. When Jack replaced all the letters in the box he put that letter in his hoodie pocket.

Closing the box and tucking it under his arm, he turned to the woods. Mim's footprints were still clearly illuminated by the setting moon. He had to find her, had to explain. He plunged into the trees with the footprints and the moon as his guide.

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><p><strong>AN: If you didn't know, those random slashes in the second letter are supposed to be the rip Jack made. Also, the next chapter has the potential to be a song fanfic, but I won't do it if no one wants it. Post your opinion in the reviews! :D**

**-Mimic **


	35. Sun Rise Hurt Dies

Morning was dawning. How far could Mim have gone? Along the way the footprints smoothly morphed into wolf prints, Jack knew she could transform and maybe that was how she covered such a great distance. He wasn't to far from the tallest hill in Burgess, nicknamed Mount Frost by the locals. It was named that because one could tell when frost was coming because it would freeze up there first. At the base of the mountain, her tracks vanished all together. Jack didn't think she could teleport. Not too long ago, Mim had listed some of the imitations she had done and the powers they gave her, he didn't recall teleporting on the list. But flight was.

Jack took the sky and headed up towards the peak of Mount Frost, he might get a better view from up there. It would seem someone else had the same idea. Mim sat on the crest of the hill, which overlooked the forest and some of the town. As Jack moved closer, he felt pain and hurt and sadness emanating from her. Her emotional "radiation" was still flowing out in all directions.

"I know you're there."

He landed beside her. He had been silent...

"I can feel you. All of your emotions are broadcast to me, I know all of your strongest feelings, except those which you keep hidden."

Apparently her emotion powers are two way. She can sense them and send them.

"I have your box."

Mim stirred from her place and looked into Jack's eyes. Moving away slightly she took it from him.

"When you dropped it the lock broke and...um...I saw a few of them."

He looked at Mim. Instead of her usual black and white garments, she was clothed in silver, with loose graceful silk. Sort of like the moon on earth. Small tears coursed down her cheeks. Her eyes were blue, but not a calm blue, they were an unhappy grey blue, like snow someone had trod upon.

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have read them...they were private letters..."

"Don't say your sorry. When I was bringing you the box, I intended for you to read them. I didn't intend to interrupt you."

"About Zvezda..."

"Zvezda?"

"The girl you saw, she had a name."

"I know she had a name, I just had some more...interesting ones."

"She's another winter spirit, but she's cruel and I try to avoid her."

"Really? Forgive me for not believing you."

Jack felt the pain and the tiniest bit of anger inside her. But the fact that her trust had been lost in him hurt more.

"I don't love her you know. She kissed me."

Mim looked at him. The color in her eyes began to swirl and swish like a storm at sea. Mim didn't know whether to trust him or not. She was not a trusting person and now the only person on earth that could see her had betrayed her. But something in her held on to the idea that Jack might still care about her. He eyes stopped swirling and became a clear impassive blue.

"Okay. I believe you Jack. I believe IN you Jack" Jack felt the power in the words.

"I love you Jack." the words were so quiet and so delicate Jack almost didn't think she had really said them. He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. Wrapping his right arm around her sat on Mount Frost as the sky lightened. Mim fell asleep not too long after. Asleep in Jack's arms Mim closed her eyes just as the sun began to rise. As the first lights touched the frosted grass around them. The sleeping Mim shifted. Her hair had golden highlights and a shimmering warmth. Her skin grew more colored and dark, like a sun-kissed peach. Her silver flowing garments because orange and yellow and pink and gold, reflecting the colors slowly creeping across the sky.


	36. A Home for Her

Deep within the Black Forest, Pitch strolled in the darkness. He was waiting to meet someone important, instrumental in his plans for revenge.

"When people come calling to my home they are supposed to wait for invitation."

Pitch turned to the smooth female voice.

"Why my lady, I have come on an important matter. You wouldn't harm your guest."

"Why have talked about this Pitchiner, I don't want to be your accomplice." They began to walk astride into the depths of the woods.

"Try not to think of it as an accomplice, but more of associate. We have a common purpose."

"And what purpose is that?" The lady stopped walking only to start again as Pitch did not halt.

"We both want something we don't have, but can have, with a little work." Pitch gestured with his hands as he spoke.

"What is it that you want, endless fear?"

"You know me well, and as always I want fear."

"But you do not know me therefore how can you know what I desire?"

"You are trapped here except during the hours of night and even then you must continue moving in order to remain in the night where you belong."

"Anyone who has heard of me knows that. Your information is irrelevant. "

"Not entirely my dear. What if I could help you go anywhere you like in this world without worry of the time or place. You could go anywhere you like for as long as you please, but you must help me as well."

The lady strode close the Nightmare King, intrigued by his proposal and interested in his request for assistance.

"Alright Pitchiner. I'm listening."

* * *

><p>Jack picked up Mim, her sunset form gave the slightest glow. When she was securely in his arms he set out for the North Pole. Christmas was coming and with everyone at the Workshop busy, he could easily sneak her into his room and let her stay there. He was not aware that today was this month's meeting though. By the time he had reached the Pole, and scrambled through his usual window above the fireplace in the Globe Room, he noticed the four sets of eyes on him.<p>

One pair was gold, one pair was green, another blue and the last violet. Everyone stood stone still. Eventually Jack let his eyes flick to Mim's sleeping form. It seemed then everyone else noticed her too. Tooth was out of her seat in a blur of feathers.

"Ohhhhhh Nym! She's alive and a spirit by the looks of it, Jack you must be so happy!"

"Both North and Bunny came over to them.

"Frostbite are you alright mate?"

"Da, explain yourself Jack."

Sandy merely floated up and put one of his small hands on Mim's head. Dreamsand began to swarm above her head until to figures, ice skating together, took form. Tooth placed a gentle hand on Mim's cheek, and sighed. Secretly, she had missed her too. It was nice to have another girl to talk too. She whispered compassionately.

"North, Bunny, we should get her somewhere nice to sleep. If she's new to the spirit world she hasn't time to settle down yet. She needs a home. Besides Jack can't explain what happened if he's holding her the whole time."

North moved to take her from Jack and bring her to the guest room. Why he had a guest room was a mystery in the first place. When he approached Mim Jack pulled away slightly. North chuckled slightly, clearly Jack was not going to part with her just yet. He put one hand on Jack's back and guided him down the hall to a room with a lacquered wooden door.

Inside was a cozy space with evergreen walls and four pillar bed with red coverings. North turned and left Jack with Mim. He thought of Jack as a son and it made him so proud to see him so. It seemed like him and Nym fit together well.

Jack set her down on the bed. He didn't really know what to. He did open the curtains however. He never wanted to see Mim wake up in darkness. Never. He left the door cracked and walked down the hallway back to the Globe room. The other Guardians were all on the couches near the fire, waiting patiently and expectantly. Jack took a deep breath and entered. He did have a lot of explaining to do.

"To begin, her name isn't Nym anymore, it's Mim..."

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><p><strong>AN: Hello everyone, this chapter was supposed to be a bit more family-ish. It's not much but more family related stuff will come later on. Please R&R and let me know what I should add or try. Thank you.**

**-Mimic**


	37. Telekinesis and Eavesdropping

Sunlight. It was so bright. Mim's eyes opened to find herself looking into the sun rising over a Tundra of ice and snow.

_Where am I?!_

She remembered Jack holding her and seeing a sunset from a hill in Burgess. Was this the sunrise? She looked to the tundra outside. Her brain told her it wasn't a sunrise. It would be if it were the South Pole, but Jack told her that no spirits but him go down there, and certainly not live there. So she was back at the North Pole, and this was a sunset. The last sunset she knew. The Winter Solstice meant that the North Pole was about to be plunged into 6 months of night.

Looking down at herself she recalled how she had shifted, right before she fell asleep. Before that she had been talking with the moon sort of. She had been looking at it and marveling at its cool, iridescent form, floating serenely in the sky. She had shifted into a moon like form. When she had fallen asleep she had shifted into a sunset form. But this occasion called for a slightly different form.

* * *

><p>"...and that's how we got here."<p>

Jack finished. He had started from the night he had pulled her out of her window, to leaving her in the room down the hall. Sandy sat in stunned silence. Tooth was quivering. Bunny was impressed with the girl for surviving so well on her own. But North took action.

"Girl is here now. Is all that matters. Perhaps she can help with globe problem."

Jack turned to North.

"A while ago she said she would think on it."

"AHA! Is good. Go fetch her."

"Mates it's happening again."

Once again, half of the globes lights began flickering. The two Americas were covered in twinkling lights. Belief was shaking.

"Jack go! Find her quick. We need all help we can get."

Jack sped off. The other Guardians began to feel discouraged. Some of the lights were beginning to go out.

* * *

><p>The door to the guest room was ajar. Mim had set it just so that it looked like no one had touched it since Jack had left. Now in the hallway she focused her mind solely on one thing. Invisiblity.<p>

_I am transparent.  
>I am unnoticeable<br>I have no secrets  
>I have nothing to see<br>Therefore I am invisible_

Within seconds, she could look down and see nothing but the polished wooden floor. Now here was the tricky part. These floors were creaky. Above and beneath her, every footstep creaked and screamed like a broken violin. Just because she was invisible didn't mean that no one could hear her. This would be the first time Mim would attempt to imitate more than one power at a time.

Wings weren't an option, they made a slight breeze and could bump into things. What kind of levitation could she use. Maybe telekinesis! Hmmmmmm. How would she pull this off?

The stress was enormous. Her brain was stretched to the breaking point trying to maintain both the invisibility and her flight. Using the telekinesis wasn't about flying. It was about pushing off the things around you so you could levitate.

Floating precariously down the hall she reached the Globe Room. She looked at the Guardians sitting. Jack wasn't among them. She didn't have to worry about that though. She was here to on another purpose, but the temptation to listen in made her float over to them. She didn't dare land with the thought she might not be able to levitate again if she did.

"I can't believe it! Nym is alive." Bunny said out of nowhere.

"Don't forget her name is Mim now." Tooth pointed out. When no one responded she voiced her own thoughts.

"I wonder if she's alright, you know, inside. I know 300 years to a toll on Jack but who knows what this girl has gone through."

"Sheila, Jack says this girl has already done a face-off with Pitch, I'm sure she can handle herself."

Now North chimed in. "Experiencing disbelief is a harsh experience, learning control is even harder to deal with alone."

"You don't think Pitch has done anything to her?" Bunny quipped in a slightly worried fashion.

"Bunny we cannot reach out to every new spirit. Takes too much time."

"According to Jack, her powers are extraordinary." Tooth recalled hopefully.

"You think she should be Guardian?"

"Perhaps."

Mim froze in midair. They would consider her as a Guardian? Shaking her head, which hurt slightly due to mental stress, she moved away. They wouldn't choose her. She knew it. She had figured out her center a long time ago, but she knew. No one could be a Guardian unless Man in Moon said so.

She floated up to the Globe and landed on the top, right where the North Pole was supposed to be. She released the telekinesis, allowing her brain to regain it's extreme control. Now she had to do it again...

Jack returned running to the Globe Room.

"She's gone!"

"What!"

"What!"

"What!"

"What!"

The voices echoed around the Room. Sure Mim heard them but she was on the verge of something. She looked that the lights, the flickering, where they were, when they were flickering...

"She's not where I left her. She must have woken up and wandered off."

Mim internally retorted.

_I did not wander off. That implies had no purpose in what I was doing. I do NOT wander off..._

Bunny was indignant.

"Someone should have been watching her! This place is HUGE! We'll never find her."

"We could alert the Yetis my fairies could help."

"No no, we don't want girl to panic! We split up!"

"Are you guys crazy! She'll think you guys are trying to kidnap her like the first time you went after her! Remember that?!"

THAT WAS IT! It was a good thing Mim figured it out because all this noise was making it impossible to concentrate and maintain the two powers she was using. She let the invisiblity go. She was sticking to the side of the Globe like spider-man.

"HEY!"

All heads turned to her. She would laugh about their faces later.

"You guys have a bigger problem here than me. I figured out what's causing the lights to flicker."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry about how long it's been since an update. I've had a lot of homework. R&R and leave suggestions in the reviews!**

**-Mim**


	38. Bringing Balance and Seeing Dark

"How did you get up there?!" Tooth asked in absolute shock. "Is this one of your powers?!"

"No it's not mine. I just copied it." Mim sprung off the Globe and after a couple backflips, shifted into a cat and landed lightly on her feet, she then returned to human form. Jack was on the floor laughing so hard it didn't make sound anymore, it was just him struggling to inhale and exhale. It took another hour explain Mim's powers to the rest of the Guardians. The whole copying powers thing was complicated.

"So that makes you invincible right? It's a good thing you're a good guy!" Bunny looked suspicious.

"Not exactly, there's a catch or two." She then proceeded to explain the limits of her abilities.

"If imitated someone's powers while fighting them one on one, they would win unless I used my own skill or copied multiple abilities."

They took the whole complex powers thing well, even if they didn't quite understand it. North stood.

"This is a well and good, but you have found thing we look for."

Everyone fell into somber silence. At last they would know why lights were flickering and going out. Why one half of the planet, always one half? All eyes were on Mim as she sat on the couch by the fire, with Jack on her right and Sandy on her left. She stared into the flames as if entranced but she broke her gaze and turned to the Guardians. Getting up from her seat she strode to the Globe. Sprouting wings identical to Tooth's, although maybe a shade more violet, she took to the air and pointed at the Globe.

"The world is full of balances. Where this one thing, there is also the opposite. Tell me, what opposites do you see?" Mim said while motioning to the large model of the planet. The others began to list them.

Belief and Disbelief. North and South. East and West. Land and Sea. But Mim continued to shake her head until Jack landed on a particular pair.

"Day and Night." he said at last.

"Exactly! For years, generations children have been afraid of the dark." Mim landed on the ground once more.

"That's why one half is always flickering. During night something is happening to belief."

"So it is Pitch. Ve go catch scoundrel!" North began to walk.

"To the slei-"

"Not quite." Mim swiftly cut him off.

"Though fear and dark are closely related. Pitch is fear and not darkness." Mim's eyes turned a dark green as curiosity and concentration occupied her mind.

Bunny piped up. "Does darkness even have a spirit?"

"It does. She lived in the Black Forest, if my memory serves, which it always does." Tooth recalled.

"Hmph. Shoulda known Darkness was a 'she.' " Bunny snorted. Tooth turned and gave him a look that was scolding but Mim whirled on him. Striding with graceful steps that seemed to shake the ground she walked right up to him. Her eyes were somewhere between orange and red, a look that promised anger of unknown capacity. Jack saw her wolf form ripple over her human one like a shadow. He reached out his arm.

"Watch your words rabbit, because every sexist thing you can say about a woman has a counterpart that can be applied to you. Everything is balanced."

Bunny's struggled to maintain his composure. Aside from her wolf like presence which threatened to escape her emotions into her physical form, Mim's powerful emotions pushed at Bunny's mind. Her teeth had sharpened, especially the canines. Just before Mim released a vicious growl, she felt Jack's hand on her shoulder. Suddenly all the rage left her, and her eyes became a calmer blue, almost blue. Jack's calm, loving emotions were reflecting back to her and blotting out the anger.

Mim backed up and Jack moved forward until Mim felt Jack's hoodie against her back. It was comforting. She had expressed her feelings. This was his way of returning them. It was so subtle, but both knew what the other meant to them. She spoke once again to Bunny.

"I'm sorry. My emotions are more powerful than most. I usually have much better self control."

"No problem Sheila." It sounded sincere enough. But Bunny didn't trust this girl. He had only met her once before. Bunny hated mysteries and she was definitely mysterious.

"Either way," North cut in, "We must go find Darkness Lady."

Those who weren't already standing left their seat. Sandy made two pictures. One was of a forest, the other of 3 people. Those two vanished only to be replaced by a globe another 3 people. Jack affirmed Sandy's thoughts.

"Sandy's right, we should split up. Tooth should go to one team and North to another because Tooth has fairies and North has yetis. Bunny and I will go on separate teams that way each will have an fast fighter. Mim and Sandman will split that way each team has a versatile person, Sandy's sand and her mimicry."

No one doubted Jack's dividing of the teams. North, Bunny and Sandy grouped together. So did Tooth, Jack and Mim.

"We want Mim." Bunny said in a humorous tone, "You can't keep hogging her mate." Bunny really just wanted to observe this strange girl with the strange powers. Mim didn't hesitate to leave Jack's side but Jack knew she was worried. He could feel it emanating from her. None of the others seemed to notice.

"Now onto next problem. Who gets forest and who gets patrol." North glanced around the group. Tooth answered.

"We'll take patrol, all of us can fly and flight won't do well in a thick forest. Bunny's tunnels will keep you from getting lost."

Bunny nodded nonchalantly.

"What's more important now is that we get out of here." Mim could not sound more serious.

"Why Mim? North Pole is very safe. Ve are okay..."

"We don't know if darkness is nice or not nice. I'm assuming she can go where it's dark..." Her head turned towards the window, and the others also looked out through the glass. The last rays of sunlight were shining through. The shadows grew ominously longer as 6 months of night crawled to the North Pole.

"In 3 days is Christmas. On Christmas, Pole has impenetrable magic. But afterward, the Pole is, I dislike to say, vulnerable." North choked out the words.

"Everything is ready for Christmas, but maybe I will stay here. Bunny and Mim will be fine da?"

"We'll be okay North, right Sheila?" Bunny said. Mim nodded without a word. Without anymore words the team of three departed to monitor the earth, and the team of two slide down a tunnel to the Black Forest.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hey guys, sometimes I write short chapters, sometimes I write long chapters. Let me know which you prefer in the reviews. Also, I am changing the title because I intend to have more than one story based on all of this. It will be one continuous story but in multiple "volumes" otherwise this would be a very very long fanfiction. This volume will end after this arc. So please flatter me by reading the second volume when it comes out. I will not post it until this one is completed though. Happy Reading! :D**

**-Mimic**


	39. Encounters of Now, and Then

Mim proved to be a skilled tunnel hopper. Keeping close to Bunny's cottony tail, she ran through the underground labyrinths with agility and precision. In mere seconds, they popped up to see and immense forest before them. Although it was midafternoon in Germany, the trees were so heavy in foliage that only tidbits of sunlight made it through the dark canopy. Mountains standing great in the distance induced the feeling of smallness. It was a fitting place for the spirit of darkness.

"Soooo, um, how are we going to go about this?" Mim inquired.

"This forest is vast. We'll split up. You can search the inner parts while I manage the outer perimeter. I'll tunnel in if you need help." Bunny was used to taking control, but he wanted to get a reaction out of her. He wanted to figure her out. Something about Mim made him curious. Pooka instincts told him she was important, he didn't know for what.

He turned to see if she had anything to say only to see a doe with a creamy chestnut coat bounding into the wood. It looked at him long enough only for him to see that it had rainbow eyes. He took off around the border.

* * *

><p>The night sky was dotted with stars and fairies alike as Tooth, Sandy and Jack circled over a country town. The decided not patrol daylight areas due to the obvious fact that darkness wasn't present. Sandy covered sunset areas since his golden appearance would double as camouflage. In the same fashion Tooth covered sunrise areas with a small squad of fairies. Jack and another squad of fairies covered the deadest areas of night where the moon didn't shine.<p>

Jack landed on a rock protruding from his world of snowy white. Despite the infinite black surrounding him on all sides, he saw colors flash before his eyes. Figures and shapes moved around him. He saw Mim reading in chair in her bedroom. He turned his head and saw her dancing at a rehearsal, spinning across the floor. Her voice wafted across the snow, conversations from months ago reached his ears.

_"Why do you always read the same books over and over again Nym?"_

_"Because every time I read them, I try to imagine them differently."_

_"That's not a good reason though."_

_"Oh it's not? Well, I do like the stories in them too!"_

Jack remembered laughing. Mim made him so happy, like being alone for 300 years was worth how alive she made him feel.

* * *

><p>Deep within the Black Forest, Mim switched her four legs for two human ones. All around her trees cast long shadows. How would she ever find one spirit in all of this gloom? She needed a general idea of where to go. She thought about the earth. Unless the darkness spirit was flying, the earth would know where she was. Mim thought about how solid the earth was, steady and strong. Moments later Mim was in earth form. Sturdy brown pants and a tank top with hints of grass green mingled in with a chocolate brown. Her hair was swept up in a sleek ponytail, with brunette color, to compliment her now hazel eyes.<p>

Planting her hands firmly on the ground, she stretched outward feeling the earth breathe and live. Not too far from her, maybe a couple miles, was what felt like a clearing. There were things in it, but they didn't feel like trees.

Severing her connection with the earth, Mim returned to her true form, with black and white clothing and rainbow eyes. Turning her head to the west, the rainbow eyes became the gray eyes of a red fox, which took off toward the direction of the clearing.

Bunny was on the far eastern side of the wood. Planting egg sensors in the ground every mile or so. If any spirit crosses the border made by the eggs, they would mark the date, the time and snap a quick photo. It was rudimentary, but it had helped Bunny identify rogue spirits lots of times. Bunny liked methodical work, but Mim kept dogging at his mind. Why did she make something in him twitch. An early moon rose far on the horizon. Looking to it, Bunny asked why his instincts told him Mim was important some how. As always, Man in Moon was cryptic.

_Trust your instincts, but trust your friends too. Whether or not you should trust her, is all in the light._

* * *

><p>Jack saw a shadow moved in the distance, Tooth saw it too, as did Sandy. Leaving his rock , Jack took off after it. Looking to the horizon, he remembered the day had followed Mim to school without telling her. He had snuck in after her and kept hidden just out of sight. School was still very interesting to him. Schools were much different in his time. But in this century, they separated children by age. He had seen some dramatic school movies with Jamie.<p>

Reality was in no way as dramatic. But he did see some of the things the movie had in Mim's school. In all her classes, there was one kid who was clearly smarter than everyone else and he knew it. He basked in the attention that being intelligent gave him. There was also the girl, a brunette, who was popular because of her curves but for no other reason. Just listening to her and her friends made Jack sick.

It was in this memory that Jack saw Vick for the first time. Sure he sat with Mim at lunch and talked to her, but as Mim had told him, tensions had risen between them. Vick just wanted to fit in, and he wanted Mim to fit in too. Jack had been tempted to freeze Vick's chocolate milk. How could he ask Mim to do something that was out of her control. Fitting in wasn't about changing yourself but about people accepting you. People didn't accept Mim. The conversations he heard were awkward and disjointed.

_"Did I do something to make you mad Vick?"_

_'No."_

_"Then why did you stop talking to me? You can't avoid me forever, we have 6 classes together!"_

_"People don't like you, you know that?"_

_"What does that have to do with anything?"_

_"They don't like you because you treat them with disgust."_

_"No, I don't let them trample me like every other wallflower in this school."_

_"Why can't you just try to fit in like everybody else?!"_

_"Why do you care so much?! I thought you were my friend because I wasn't everybody else."_

* * *

><p>A red fox reached a clearing in the Black Forest. But as a human Mim was shocked at what she saw. She had no doubt that the spirit of dark lived here. A hundred feet to her right was a cave, even darker than the forest around it. But Mim was confused.<p>

A model of the Eiffel Tower stood in the clearing. There was also a Japanese Pagoda and a miniature Great Wall of China. All were made with what seemed to be the same wood as the trees. But larger than the rest, were the planets, hanging in order from the branches overhead.

Why would the spirit of darkness have landmarks and planets in her home. Nailed to the trees with what could only be described as "solid darkness" were postcards of all the places of the world. All of the postcards were of places that were sunny. How peculiar...

Transforming into a black and white Pooka, she thumped on the ground. A tiny tunnel opened up and she called down it to Bunnymund. Her tunnels were for sound only. She couldn't make travel tunnels yet. A few moments later, E. Aster Bunnymund's ears poked up from the ground.

"Looks like you found the lair of our lady." Bunny observed.

"Why must you assume that it's a lair." Mim responded good-naturedly compared to her previous outburst.

"I was going for the alliteration."

That was the first time Bunny heard Mim laugh. It was a musical sound.

* * *

><p>In the night sky, the three patrolling Guardians, were closing in on their targets. 100 feet, 50 feet, 25 feet...<p>

BLAM!

Sandy, Jack and Tooth all collided into each other. Tooth had Frost on her feathers and dreamsand on her wings. Sandy's golden robe had feathers sticking out of it and his hair was frozen straight up. Jack brushed feathers off his hoodie. His white hair looked positively blonde because it was covered in dreamsand.

They all shared a good laugh. But then they all returned to their assigned positions, each one with a more keen eye this time...

* * *

><p>Two long tentacles of darkness shot out of the cave next to the clearing and covered Mim and Bunny's eyes. Bunny lashed out with his boomerangs. The tentacles faded away. The pair laid eyes for the first time, on Lady Dark. Draped in a magnificent black dress, which extended to her ankles she stood tall and proud. A dark gray cloak hung from her shoulders and merged with the ground to form her shadow. Her shoulders and waistline seemed to be accentuated by swirls in her dress that seemed to be made of raven's feathers. Long black hair, similar to Mim's, fell past her shoulders into her cloak where it vanished into the dark hues. Her ashen eyes shone despite her place as spirit of darkness.<p>

"Why do you invade my home strangers?"

"Why are you making children stop believing!" Bunny retorted. Mim groaned. Why was Bunny always so tactless?

"Lady, we only want to talk." Mim didn't move from her place. When Bunny tried to advance, she swung her arm out in front of him. Bunny bumped into it. She had transformed her arm into steel.

"Talk? Young one, since when does speech involve weaponry?" Mim took a deep breath. _Young one?_ The spirit didn't look much older than her. 25 maybe. But darkness was probably an old spirit and modern slang hadn't appealed to her.

"Please ignore my friend here. He-"

"I'm not afraid to hurt a lady! Tell us what we want to know!" Bunny shouted. Could he not control his mouth. Lady Dark didn't even try to hide the fact that he had offended her.

"How dare you! You intrude upon my home and now you mock me!" Lady Dark spoke with a sharp tongue. The shadows cast by the trees morphed and changed, until they bore resemblance to sharp toothed monsters with claws and hollow eyes. Mim did not wait to see if they were just shadows. In the split second it took for her to grow wings, she took to the sky. Parting the leaves in the overhead canopy, Mim broke through the trees. Sunlight streamed through the part in the foliage, vanquishing the shadows and forcing Lady Dark to flee to her cave.

Slipping off her bracelets, Mim turned them into a long lasso, and looped Bunny by the waist. Pulling him into open sky, she flew towards the North Pole.

Just before Mim had jumped into the trees, Lady Dark had caught her words. They seemed out of place by unerringly sincere. Mim had said something to her before she unleashed burning light upon her.

"I'm so sorry."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hey everybody. Whew long chapter! I'm looking for a way to post my artwork for you guys. I have a picture of Lady Dark but I don't know how to post it for you guys. Facebook doesn't seem to work. Leave suggestions in the comments!**

**-Mim**


	40. Dark Side Effects

Flying high over the Baltic Sea, Mim had Bunny dangling on her lasso. The Black Forest did not go well... at all. Travelling north, Bunny was screaming obscenities at her. She would find a way to punish him later for this. Maybe she wouldn't have to. On top the Workshop was a great glass dome which was the ceiling o the Globe Room. Landing on top of it, Mim set Bunnymund down and then the lasso returned to her wrists as her glass bracelets. Shifting to mimic a new power, she slowly began to phase through the dome.

"Where are you going! You little vixen... oh I'll show you what the Easter Bunny can do!"

"Find your own way down you oversized rodent!"

Having phased completely through, Mim dropped to the inlaid wooden floor. Phasing slightly into the ground to lighten the impact, she then pulled herself and took a seat on the couch. How Bunny's words hurt her. Something inside her darkened, oh it was black as space. She tried to wrangle it and find an inner balance but all of her dark emotions riled in awakening.

The three Guardians that were on patrol returned not that long after. North came out of his study. Mim didn't hesitate to run to Jack and wrap in a tight hug. Jack lifted her off the ground. A snowflake materialized out of the air and landed on Mim's nose. She laughed.

"Where's the Kangaroo, Mim? You didn't let him do all the work with Lady Dark did you?"

"If he had done all the work, we would be in a worse position than we already are."

Sandy made a picture of a rabbit and a big mouth that was jabbering away. Tooth piped up.

"Oh Sandy, Bunny can be very diplomatic...sometimes."

Mim scoffed. The events from the past few hours were not difficult to recall. Mim could feel that darkness in her growing. North chuckled at Bunny's blunders, but his brow would then furrow. Jack remained silent.

"Why would Bunny do that though? He may be a tool, but he's usually a tad more light hearted."

It was at this moment that Bunny managed to break the glass dome with his boomerangs. He tumbled through the air and would have gone splat on the ground had Phil not been passing by. Phil had his arms outstretched, intending to stop a haphazard elf from touching the toys. Those outstretched arms were not expecting to catch a Pooka. His shock was short lived because the minute Bunny landed in Phil's arms, he hopped out and stormed over to the others in rage.

Jack swept Mim behind him with his staff. He did not notice how the sight of Bunny made her breathing increase to short frustrated gasps.

"NEXT TIME YOU PULL A TRICK LIKE THAT, I WILL THROW YOU MAN IN MOON AND BACK!"

"Bunny, calm down, is misunderstanding I'm sure." Despite North's massive size and stature, Bunny was not deterred.

"I HAD HER IN MY PAWS! DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND? I'M A GUARDIAN AND YOUR NOTHING BUT A LITTLE ROGUE, WHICH MEANS I CALL THE SHOTS AND YOU-"

The darkness in Mim exploded and she shifted into a form of herself which swirled with dark energy.

"You understand NOTHING!" With that statement, all the darkness flooded out in a concussive burst. Jack being only a few feet in front of her, received the full brunt of the force. With a cry of pain, Jack fell to the ground out cold. Once all the darkness burst out, Mim was left as herself but her eyes were still black from the last bits of energy. As that faded, she fell to her hands and knees.

In a few moments, she regained her bearings. Seeing Jack on the ground, she gasped. Going to his side, she turned his head to check that he was still breathing. He was...faintly. What had she done?

Bunny's screams still echoed through the Globe Room. Sandy attempted to put him to sleep with dreamsand but on contact it turned into nightmare sand. A nightmare swirled to life, but in a room of 3 active Guardians it didn't stand a chance. North dispatched the nightmare. Then he, along with Tooth and Sandy, worked to detain Bunny, as he began to thrash and yell. A darkness just like the darkness that had been in Mim's eyes, were in Bunny's now. Holding the Easter Guardian tightly, they wrestled him down the halls of the Pole until they found a place to shackle him.

"Vat is this. An inner Darkness, da?"

"Maybe North, I'll have my fairies search the library for an explanation." Tooth took off for her palace. Sandy just shook his head in worry. North opened his mouth as if to say something to Bunny, but closed it and departed as well.

Back in the Globe Room, Mim knelt by Jack, who refused to stir. She brushed the hair from his face as her silent tears fell and froze into ice on his face. A snowflake was suspended in each one. Standing, she ran, fast as the Flash, to the blue door of Jack's Room. Opening it, she strode to the shelf that held his few belongings. Opening her box of letters, she removed the letters and deposited them on his bed. Taking the box she opened the window to the room. There was no moon to be seen.

Her thoughts turned to Jack, his cool serenity, his comfort, the winter fun and all he was. Slowly Mim's hair turned white and her shirt turned blue, with frost crawling down the collar. I was sleeveless but came up to her neck. Brown pants cut off just below her knees. Strips of leather wound around her lower arms. Her bracelets turned into a staff, not that different to that of a certain winter spirit. Blue eyes scanned the dark horizon. Stretching out with her mind, she politely ask the Wind for a favor. Then away she went, box in hand, on the wings of the wind.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry about the wait! I have had a lot to do with testing and homework! Let me know what you think with this latest chapter. I'm always open to suggestions and soon I might reveal the title of Volume Two!**

**-Mimic**


	41. Flashes of Fear and Forgetfulness

Far away, there is a place that nobody visits. Those who roam there return shaking and frightened. That place is in a deep, dark forest, and in that forest is a hole with a bed on top. This bed is broken and old and uninviting. But a girl with white hair and a long staff has roamed there and she is carrying a box...

* * *

><p>Jack was in the infirmary at the North Pole. Upon awakening, he could see a clean white ceiling and yetis in white doctor's uniforms. His head hurt, a lot. A pale brown colored yeti came to check on him. Jack's eyes had difficulty focusing on the yeti and the light that was shining in his eyes. After seeing Jack awake, the yeti plodded off, but Jack didn't know where. He tried to focus and get up, but he abandoned that idea pretty quickly. His head was spinning.<p>

He remembered yelling, lots of yelling. He was pretty sure it was Bunny yelling, but he was having trouble thinking. Why had Bunny been yelling? Had he done something wrong again? Jack didn't recall pranking him recently. That was when he got hit from behind by, something...no a somebody!

"MIM!"

Jack flipped off the side of the bed he was on and crawled until he found his staff. His thoughts were muddled but he could move...sort of. Using his staff as a walking stick, he managed to get halfway down the hall. His head was thudding, pounding! Within a few minutes though, Phil had him by his shoulders. Lifting him clean off the ground, he was carried back to the hospital bed.

There he abandoned the thought of moving again. The other Guardians would come and explain. Where was Mim? Was she okay? Did she hit him on purpose? Why would she do that? His head began to pound once more and the edges of his vision went fuzzy. Soon, it all went black.

* * *

><p>Mim gazed down the hole in front of her. She didn't know of Pitch was down there, but this was her only chance to do this. She double-checked the latch on the box. Then she turned her bracelets into rope and slowly lowered the box down the hole. The chasm was deep. It was deeper than her emotional-empathy could sense. After what seemed like a painstakingly long time, the box hit bottom. After removing the rope, she turned to the sky.<p>

She had to return to the Pole. It was a painful truth, but a truth nonetheless. She had hurt Jack! How would she ever forgive herself?! Inside her heart was churning with pain and confusion. She had lost control and someone she loved got hurt. It must never happen again.

* * *

><p>This time when Jack woke up, he was face to face with the other Guardians. Bunny had at last returned to his senses and looked very grumpy.<p>

"Why does my head hurt?"

"Jack, you have concussion. Is minor head injury, should be fine within a week do due to yeti medicine." North seemed to be avoiding something. He looked to Bunny instead. He was rough but he didn't hold back.

"I'm sorry mate. Let's just say Dark had a couple tricks up her shadowy sleeves." This was all so confusing to Jack. He had a concussion so that accounted for the jumbled thoughts. But he needed to get things straight.

"I'm having difficulty remembering..."

North stood and sighed.

"Memory. This is area for you Tooth. I have Christmas clean up to do...and sleep. Feel better Jokul." using his nickname for Jack.

In 10 minutes it was Tooth and Jack in an empty room. Tooth explained how this was going to work. Jack was to ask simple questions or make simple statement and then Tooth would clarify or correct until it was true, then Jack would repeat the true sentence so it would go into his long term memory. This was tricky because these memories were not in his Tooth container. Jack took a deep breath.

* * *

><p>Mim saw the first tips of the northern Ice Caps. The night was dark as death. Weighing her options, Mim chose to create her own light. She could always do some sort of night vision, but this way the Guardians would see her coming. Mimicking the moon, her long hair was now a soft iridescent shade of silver. Its glow was reflected off the ice allowing her to see for some distance.<p>

What would she do when she got there?

She must be careful so very careful. How could Jack love her when she had caused him pain? She chided herself fiercely in her head. Her chance at love, with the boy of her dreams and she had to go and ruin it with her lack of control. She then told herself, that during this battle with darkness, she would hold her emotions deep inside her because from emotions came her power, and if she could restrain her power, then she could restrain the ability to hurt her friends.

* * *

><p>"Bunny was yelling."<p>

"Yes, that's true. He was yelling."

"I made him yell."

"No, Mim made him yell, and that was amplified by Darkensia."

"What is Darkensia?"

"It an infection of sorts. Lady Dark can imbibe it to her solid dark weapons or magic. It amplifies the darkness in people."

"Mim hurt me."

"Yes she did." Tooth sighed, like it pained her to say it.

"She did it on purpose."

"No, you know she would never do that. The Darkensia amplified her frustration at Bunny."

"I remember that part. How did the infection hurt me?"

"Mim was suppressing it. She was doing pretty good too. Most can't control it. But her anger at Bunny flared it and it exploded out of her."

"Is she okay? I need to see her."

"She isn't at the Pole, while we restrained Bunny she must've left."

"When she comes back, send her in okay?"

"Alright." Tooth stood up and left but before the door closed behind her she whispered to herself.

_I just hope she does come back, poor girl._

* * *

><p>At the bottom of a deep hole, Pitch Black heard a clunk. He did not want to be disturbed. The plans in motion currently required most if not all of his attention. Standing up he walked to the entrance of his lair. Standing felt good. The lack of fear after the battle with the Guardians had left him weak to the point of immobility. Nowadays he moved about just because he could. However, lately there had been a strange stream of fear. It never was exhausted and no matter how tire Pitch was he could feel this steady stream of fear. It was not a lot, but it was always enough.<p>

He could feel this fear grow stronger as he approached the entrance. _Ahhh, a victim..._ he thought cunningly. But he was vaguely disappointed as he found not a victim but a box. A box with fear ebbing from it.

Gingerly he picked it up. There was a small lock on it. It was a pathetic lock and a with a slash of nightmare sand it clattered onto the floor. Upon opening the box he felt the fear energy surge slightly. Inside the box was a series of objects but on top was a note. Taking the box further into the lair, he examined its contents.

_I understand that I shouldn't be doing this.  
>But I needed to do this. I have read many<br>books but one in North's library told me a  
>good story. It was about the Golden Age.<br>I know you are the spirit of fear, but the  
>man Kozmotis Pitchiner is in there some-<br>where. In this box, I give you the  
>embodiment of my greatest fears. For now<br>we may be enemies, but I would trust my  
>fears to no one else. Despite all you've done,<br>I know you will use their power wisely._

_-Mim_

Under the note there were 5 small statues, carved out of black obsidian. The first was a sphere in a square platform. Carved into the sphere was a cross. Pitch understood all fears. This was righteous fear of Man in Moon. Pitch held great respect for righteous fear, because there was so little of it in the world. The next statue was a hand and in the hand, there were what seemed to be crushed pieces. Examining the fear in it he discovered its purpose. It was the fear of hurting those she cared about. Then there was a swirling mass. It was the fear of losing control. After that, there was a heart with many cracks running through it. The fear of her loved ones hating her. Last, there was a square platform. It was empty. The final fear. The fear of nothingness.

Pitch was absolutely shocked. This foolish spirit girl entrusted him with fear power. Her greatest fears! Was she an idiot? Something deep in Pitch stirred. He took a deep breath. Inside, he cracked a little. Yes, he was the spirit of fear. He couldn't help it, and somebody had to do the job. He was the Boogeyman under the bed, but he didn't have to be a MONSTER.

He now held the box as if it were his own child and took it to a great room with a high ceiling. In the middle he conjured up a pedestal. He laid the box on top, with the cover open. What little light there was in his lair, allowed him to see the fear energy, swirling like an aura around the box. He commanded his nightmares and fearlings never to touch it, and then he left to return to his plot.

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><p><strong>AN: MY feeble attempt at a hurt/comfort chapter. As to the ending. I think people constantly berate Pitch and his concept. I think he doesn't deserve that as a character and so I added this to express that he is also a man and can care. Fear is not evil. Fear keeps courage from becoming recklessness and balances out the world. Let me know what you think in the reviews.**

**-Mimic**


	42. Touch of Pain Touch of Love

A yeti let her into the North Pole. Mim thought of this yeti as a special friend. His name was Grrrghaphumg in yetish but it translated to "Dmitry." He was very sensitive but was a good worker. He didn't say much either, but Mim along with him just fine. After giving him a quick hug, she walked to the Globe Room. She didn't have the emotional power to fly. It was indeed strange, it was like all her emotions were zapped.

Sandy was off working at the moment but Bunny was there, although he refused to even look Mim in the eye. Tooth delivered Jack's message.

"I have to go back to my Palace, but go see Jack. He really wants to see you."

Mim trudged to the infirmary drowning in overwhelming guilt. She was so dazed in the feeling that she didn't notice she was shape shifting into a puddle on the floor. The infirmary was empty and a blue-ish puddle moved across the floor. Jack watched it curiously until, in a swirl of water, turned into Mim. It was Mim, but she was made of water. He tried to grab her hand, only to have his hand pass through and freeze the tips of her watery fingers.

"Please."

"Oh!"

Water turned to flesh and there was Mim, dressed in blue because she was still in water form. This time he succeeded in grabbing her hand. As soon as he did, he felt a sharp pain shoot up his arm! Pulling away he set off the alarm. North rushed in. Jack was gasping. Mim screamed and backed up until she was crouching in a corner, her hands clutched to her chest. Bunny came in not long after. Bunny went to Jack and made sure he was okay. Jack refused the attention though.

"Mim..."

North held Jack down so he wouldn't go nuts. But Bunny ran over to Mim. She tried also to go to Jack, but Bunny grabbed her hands and pushed her back. But Bunny let go as he dropped to his knees, disarmed by a flash of pain. The chaos turned to silence. Mim stopped to moving and Jack ceased to squirm. North released Jack and turned to Mim. He pulled on gloves from his coat and then approached Mim. She backed away, shielding her hands. She shook her head with tears in her eyes.

"Give me your hands."

"N-n-no. I'll h-hurt you."

"Is okay...calm down...is okay...trust me."

Hesitantly, she placed her smaller hands into North's monstrous one's. He examined the palms and the backs. He ran his fingers along the creases in her skin and put pressure on the bases of her fingers. Nothing looked out f the ordinary.

"Hands are fine, Mim. Must be your powers. From what I understand of your powers, you are thinking you cause pain, so now you are."

North understood that he could not change how she felt inside. She would have to figure this out herself or it might not be done properly. He left them. Bunny had recovered and left as well.

"Mim, what happened with me was an accident! It's not your fault!" Jack's voice startled her. His hand was outstretched. He continued to hold it out as she walked forward.

"C'mon my arm's getting tired!" He said with his trademark grin. She reached out her left hand but right before skin touched skin, the black fabric on her left arm, extended swiftly to cover her hand in a sleek black glove. His grin remained.

"Mim your stronger than this. You won't hurt me."

Slowly, very slowly, the glove retracted. Cold hand met cold hand, as Mim began to imitate Jack. Soon, a white haired blue eyed Mim stood in the infirmary. No pain shot through the touch. Just Mim calming down in the presence of a person she loves very much. Jack pressed his cold lips to the back of Mim's hand.

"What you need, is sleep, you look like the beginning to a zombie apocalypse." Mim giggled, her mood shifting immensely. Jack could always make her happy. She lay down on a adjacent infirmary bed. He told her about Darkensia. How was it that Jack could always make her feel better? Mim thought. After they had talked themselves out, about anything and everything, Jack pointed his staff at the single large light in the room and shot the bulb so the room fell into darkness. Sleep approached.

...

...

...

"You know Phil's gonna kill you for breaking the lights."

"I know."

But someone else was watching in the dark. Lady Dark stood in the room looking over them. How could they be so happy together? She thought. So content. What they wanted was each other. But she wanted to see the universe. A solitary nightmare came to the window as she was leaving. It was from Pitch, requesting her presence. The nightmare had the intention to stay and leech some fear out of the two sleeping spirits. But as Dark streamed out into the blackness, she dragged the nightmare right along with her.

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><p><strong>AN: Short chapter! Sorry. Wanted to end it at someplace good and this seemed like it. Review PLEASE! I have no feedback! **

**-Mim**


	43. Eviction of Every Kind

"Why do you insist on me being here all the time Pitchiner?" Lady Dark paced in Pitch's lair, arms crossed and lips pursed. The cages hanging all around kept getting entangled in her shadows.

"My dear, this is important, we must plan this well. The Guardians are strong." He was bent over a series of maps and designs. Out of curiosity Lady Dark leaned over to get a better look. They were designs of the North Pole.

"I was just there."

"Were you now? Well, I must request you make a return trip. We have business to handle my Lady." his voice was slithery and quick like a cobra. He put his hand on her shoulders and steered her to the table. A long finger pointed to a room in the vast complex of drawn boxes labeled of workrooms and store rooms and bedrooms. It was the library and inside the library was a small room that was unlabeled.

"Where did you get these Pitchiner?"

"Oh it was a long time ago." Indeed it was. Long before Jack had been born as a human, Nicolas St. North had been a young man with quick wits and quick steel. He had moved from the village of Santoff Clausen to his newly built workshop. At this time, Pitch had kidnapped a young girl named Katherine from the Old Guardians. They managed to save the girl but Pitch had infiltrated the workshop and escaped with some designs. That was before the security measures had been put in. It was so long ago, that Pitch had forgotten the details.

"What matters is that room there. It is a secret archive and inside are spell books from the lost city of Atlantis. North's mentor Ombric left them there."

Lady Dark seemed doubtful. She had little patience for books. In the dark, you could never see the words well enough to read anything. She preferred to spend her time thinking of all the places she wanted to go and exploring new places while she could. But the coming dawn always limited her.

"How will these paper pages help us?"

"Inside I am looking for a specific spell. It will create a permanent solar eclipse. It will darken the days and create moonless nights. You will have your darkness in which to travel and I will feed off the fear of the little humans, begging for light. All you need to do right now is find me the book, no matter the cost."

"Are you expecting me to...hurt people?"

"Please, my dear, you have already infected the poor rabbit and girl with your Darkensia."

"That was self defense!"

"Do you want to remain trapped in the woods forever hiding in caves and holes!" He composed himself and walked until he stood behind her. Whispering in her ear he said, "How much do you want to see the world?"

"At any cost."

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><p>Mim was awoken by someone shaking her shoulders. Bunny's green eyes were wide.<p>

"Mim get up! We need to leave. NOW!" She leapt out of the bed and morphed into a black Pooka. If Bunny was surprised he didn't show it. Opening a tunnel, they both vanished into the floorboards. In the Globe Room, Sandy had Jack asleep on a platform. They had chosen not to disturb him due to his concussion.

"What's up?"

We have chosen to take your advice. All Pole defenses are down starting in 2 hours. We leave by sleigh."

As they began to descend to the stables and sleigh house, tendrils of solid darkness began to weave around the items in the room.

"MOVE NOW!" Bunny shouted. Jack awoke from all the noise. Getting on his feet, he began to shoot ice into the shadows. It began to distil the darkness like it would refract the light. Mim morphed into ice and began to follow his lead. Soon they had a wall of ice between them and the pressing clouds of dark. But it was cracking.

"How did she get in here?!"

"Does it matter right now?"

The began to flee but, as one can't out run light, one cannot out run the dark. They were so close to the door when it managed to grab Mim's ankles and Jack's arms, and Tooth's wings and Bunny's ears and North's beard. Mim shifted multiple times into multiple forms but they had little effect. Fire did a little but it didn't last for long due to the mental stress on Mim's mind.

The darkness soon became like a flood, smothering them in waves, blinding them and compressing them into walls. The 6 of them were all coughing and spluttering and could do nothing. But then the moon crystal rose out of the floor. The light obliterated the dark energy but more flooded in. The darkness holding the Guardians and Mim released them to try and go put out the crystal. It was shining but begin to quaver. It gave them enough time to scramble into the sleigh and get airborne.

Later when they were somewhere over the Atlantic, Mim asked the question on everyone's mind.

"Why did she break in?"

"Vas probably to dispatch us. Pitch is getting bolder." North frowned at the reigns.

"No it can't be that. The darkness was too willing to release us. We were detained so we couldn't root out the real reason."

This solemn statement held everyone's tongues frozen. Bunny exhaled forcefully.

"Either way, we can't do much now, we need a place to bunk until we can take this Lady Dark down."

North put the sleigh down near Mount Frost in the Burgess Woods. They had debated on where to stay. Antarctica seemed an easy choice but they admitted that it would be difficult for Tooth, North and Bunny to work in that environment. They settled on Burgess because they knew the territory and that they could keep an eye on Jamie and the other kids.

North was utterly frustrated by the lack of resources. That had agreed to stick together to eliminate the chances of ambush. That meant that Tooth could not go to Tooth Palace and Bunny could not go to the Warren. It seemed that the Pole was only target currently, but Tooth was connected to her fairies at the Palace and a few at the Warren. so she kept her friends updated on their safety.

Mim hopped up through tree branches to speak with a sliver of the moon. Her conversation was cut short by an arm around her shoulders. She looked behind her. Jack.

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><p><strong>AN: How are the Guardians going to handle no help from their magic and machines and helpers. Jack and Mim may know how but how will the others adjust to survival? Review please!**

**-Mim**


	44. Survival 101 Doesn't Involve Flying

Dawn emerged over Burgess. Mim was the first to awake. As the Moon began to vanish, the Sun began to come into view. Climbing to the top of Mount Frost, she spread her arms and basked in the balance of it all. The Sun and Moon where in parallel and it was both warm and cool. The silence was calming but the earth and trees were still singing. It was the perfect balance of opposites.

Turning into a canary, she tweeted to awaken the others. Bunny stirred from his patch of grass, and Tooth landed from her perch in a tree. North had slept in the sleigh and Sandy had conjured a sand bed. Jack had made a cushion of snow. He pet "bird-Mim" on her soft yellow feathers. She tweeted happily and flitted to his shoulder. He held out his index finger and Mim hopped onto it. He tossed her into the sky where she turned back into a human. When she landed, she was in earth form, with brown hair and green eyes. He bracelets had morphed into a strong oaken staff.

"This form looks most like the old you." he said.

"Does it now? Oh...um...I guess it's because I saw my old self as earthly and material."

"Material, never. But you were very down to earth." Jack replied. Mim grinned.

"So is that why you always wanted to take me flying?"

"Maybe."

By now the others had fully awoken. The all sat down in a circle by the edge of the frozen lake. No one said anything for a few minutes. No one really knew what to say. What were they going to do next? Bunny was a survival expert and Jack had survived on his own for 3 centuries. Mim had gone camping before. It was awkward and there were many gaps in the conversation, but they 6 of them eventually decided to set up a small camp at the base of Mount Frost. They would construct it on the side facing away from the town, so that fewer people would stumble upon it.

It was Tooth's job to collect some firewood. The dense trees made it difficult to maneuver with her wings so she ended up walking more than she usually did. _I need to get in shape, _she thought as she trudged around through the trees. Her arms were filled with branches in about 30 minutes or so, and she began to return back to camp. But she was stopped by an unearthly presence in her mind. Her violet eyes permeated the woods around her, searching for signs of trouble. Nothing immediately caught her eye. But there it was. It was so slight. Dark energy.

About 10 meters to her right, a small piece of paper was caught in the overhanging leaves. Tooth groaned internally. It always bothered her when people littered. Couldn't they just find a trash can? The paper had a glossy finish and seemed to have been torn off of something else. Clinging to the ripped edge was a small amount of dark energy. It looked like it was recent because it hadn't yet been destroyed by sunlight. It was hard to tell though. The past few days had been rainy in Burgess. Lady Dark could have been here up to a week ago. Placing the scrap on top of her pile of wood, she walked back to camp.

North was in the sleigh, working with his maps, making calculations. He knew Lady Dark made her home on the Black Forest. He put a small red dot on the location. She had invaded the North Pole. He put a dot there was well. Tooth fairies had spotted suspicious shadows in Tokyo, Rio, Cote D'Ivoire, and New Delhi. He could not find any connection between any of these locations. He stared long and hard at the maps. His mentor Ombric would have known what the answer was. He always did.

Memories of his teacher were mixed. The old man was wise and compassionate, but he always found fault in North. North chuckled, now he was old too. He recalled how when he had first met Ombric, he told him all about the wonders magic and belief could create. He could create great illusions and magnificent conjurings. But he had also warned North about magic being used for dark purposes. He had told him about an ancient spell in his books that could darken both the sun and the moon with a solar eclipse. North had been a headstrong youth and peeked at the spell and its ingredients.

It had required a special Japanese steel and Brazilian plants, as well as African cocoa beans and Indian spices. He still had the book for that recipe in...the...North...Pole. North clapped his hand to his forehead. That was it!

Bunny was collecting food. There was a small grove of apple trees not that far into the wood. Roots were not very difficult to find and berries were on bushes scattered around. He had woven a basket from the long grasses in the fields. Picking the fruit and digging the roots was like therapy to Bunnymund. All the stress from the recent past was washed away and it allowed him to see things more clearly.

Mim _had_ saved his life in the Black Forest. He felt ashamed on how he had never said thank you and on how he had behaved. A teenage girl had put him in his place. The Pooka definitely thought he deserved it. In all honesty, he admired her ability to morph and shape shift. He had always fancied himself as a master of camouflage but for once he had to admit that she could easily top him. He wondered if her shifting abilities had limits. Maybe she could shift into something could defeat Lady Dark.

Maybe she could transform into Light. It would be a long shot, but it might work. Could Mim do it though? She already had difficulty imitating more than attribute at a time and making light would require a ton of energy. He hopped towards Mount Frost with a strategy formulating in his mind.

Mim and Jack were in charge of creating shelter. Mim was in earth from and was manipulating large boulder and stone slabs. Jack filled in cracks with ice and covered the structure with a layer of snow to make it less noticeable. Each "structure" was more like a hut that rose about 3 feet above the ground. The real space was inside where the floor dipped several feet into the ground. While Mim used her earth powers to carve the last floor, she was lost in thought.

Once she exited the final hut, she was yanked off the ground and dragged into the sky by Jack.

"JACK!"

"What don't like flying?"

"I'm in a form associated with the GROUND! What do you think?!"

Jack only laughed as they climbed higher into the puffy, white clouds. Soon they breached the upper layer and were floating in undiluted sunlight. Mim was clutching Jack for dear life. Not only could she not fly in this form, but being in earth form influenced her personality too. Heights were not high on an earth spirit's wish list.

The other Guardians returned to find a ready made campsite with 6 huts. But clearly it was empty. Sandy returned from dream duties and chuckled. Where were those two off to now?

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><p><strong>AN: YAY! Another chapter. I am officially on summer vacation now, so expect more updates. What do you think Jack has in mind, up there in the clouds. Please let me know in the reviews! I see some stories with hundreds of views. I grow green with jealousy! **

**Also, as hinted I am going to reveal the title to volume 2.**

**VOLUME 2: THE ADVENTURES**

**Puzzle with that for a little bit and put suggestions in the reviews. Let me know what you guys want to see and I can work it in. This one will be more one-shots, so all suggestions are welcome.**

**I am planning on posting the next chapter at 9 o'clock June 19th tonight in East USA time. That is 6 pm Pacific time and around 3 am for most of Europe. But if I don't get at least 5 more reviews, I may wait longer...**

**-Mim**


	45. Black Fire Heart's Desire

**A/N: Alright, since I** **am such a good person, I posted this sooner than I expected. Although I got 0 new reviews, I really wanted to post this. Please review, I don't know why people won't?**

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><p>Flying can often be compared to weightlessness and freedom. But Mim felt trapped, there in Jack's arms, a couple hundred feet in the air, suspended over low hanging clouds. She tried to read his emotions, it wasn't difficult to do, but his feelings were muddled and confusing. But love is a strange thing to try and understand. For several moments, they simply floated there, the sun was approaching high noon and its light glittered in the sky, unblocked.<p>

"Why did you bring me up here, Jack?"

"I wanted to do something."

"Can you tell me what?"

She tried to lock her currently green eyes, with his blue one. She succeeded but not for long. His eyes were closed and soon his lips were pressed against hers.

Mim melted, almost literally. She felt herself liquefying, but managed to pull herself together. This was different, oh so different. It was different from the nips on the nose he gave her. It was different from the times she had kissed him on the cheek in greeting and farewell. This was insanity, this was other worldly, this was...perfect.

Mim's hair slowly darkened to its black and white colors. The rest of her followed suit. It seemed like forever. Jack wanted it to be forever. No darkness, no worries, nothing else. Just her and him. But then she let go.

Jack could've held onto her but with both hands on the small of her back, he was unprepared for her to plummet from his grip. Her dark hair vanished into the clouds below. He gasped and dove in after her. The clouds surrounded him and he couldn't see a thing. He called her name and reached into the whiteness, but soon he screamed in frustration and called the wind to clear the air space. He caught sight of the ground but then a white streak, well streaked past him and tapped him on the shoulder. 20 feet above him he heard,

"You're it!"

He stood agape for approximately 8 seconds. Then began the chase. Above the clouds Mim blended in like a chameleon. She had great white angels wings and short blonde hair. Her aero-dynamic top and leggings were light as...air. It was thrilling and blissful.

In straight on speed, her wings made it possible for her to outdistance Jack. But he noticed how wide and graceful they were. That could have a down side. So he was flitting around and popping up around her, forcing her to make sharp turns that were difficult with such broad wings. He couldn't out speed her, but he could out maneuver her. The air was filled with childish laughter as she struggled to bank and flip to stay ahead.

Eventually, she gave up in that form. She blurred before Jack's eyes. When she came back into focus, she had fairy's wings. Let's see him try to out maneuver her now! They dashed off in their playful game of tag. But now Jack had the speed advantage. Her forced her to fly into a headwind. When she took into a daring dive, he locked his arms and legs and free fell after her. With one last push of the wind, he locked his arms around her from behind.

"Gotcha!"

She was laughing too hard to respond with any intelligible words. But she turned her head and kissed him this time. This kiss was much shorter, but just as well received. They never had to say anything. They love was there. A loud whinny caught their attention. Jack released her and spun. A legion of nightmares riled in the air, trailing nightmare sand. All of them were breathing black fire.

The charge separated the two, and forced them to battle the dark horses alone. Jack struck and parried with his staff and a shield made of ice. Mim was using a bow with arrows tipped in lightning. She was now clad in navy and thunder cracked through the sky. Her emotions were raw power and they created a storm of electricity and sound. The thunder scattered the nightmares and the lightning silence their fire. But they were closing in.

Some of the horses left Jack to assist in the battle against the raging storm from Mim's heart. Soon, every nightmare left was circling her in a dark tornado. Jack shot ice into the fray, and tried to break in, but he dared not shoot in, lest he strike Mim, in the eye of the storm. He saw flecks of lightning here and there. But was it lightning? Light began to permeate the horses and drown their black fire. Light shot from the top of the tornado and ricocheted around. It was Mim, like a burning sun. The nightmares took off after the pair of them. Jack and Mim rocketed across the sky. Twin comets of ice and fire with trails of night behind them.

But soon Mim began to flicker and shudder. Jack took her hands and with the last of her strength, the fired a bolt of light. The nightmares dispersed. Jack took her into his arms and they descended to the ground.

The other Guardians stood when they saw Jack and Mim stride into camp. Bunny called to them.

"It's about time!"

He and the other then noticed that the two were hand in hand.

"It's about time..."

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><p><strong>AN: I have been waiting to write and post this chapter forever! At last, I am appeased. Please review! for all you romantics, I hope I have pleased you. For those of you who are not. Don't worry, it won't all be romance stuff. I still have much action in store for you!**

**-Mim**


	46. Happy New Year, What have we here?

They had been discussing plans for hours. Strategies and timetables filled the minutes. Mim had begun to absorb solar energy just to remain alert and awake. But once night fell, she ended up falling asleep. She could have absorbed some dark energy, but the others thought it would be best of she didn't. Her head lay on Jack's lap, white hair slipping off the edge of his knees. She had taken a wintry form, in order to maintain homeostasis so close to Jack. But as a result, they could not sit close to the fire the others had lit.

Jack fiddled with the ends of her hair. They had agreed on a plan. Now, the negotiations centered on how they would do it. The plan in concept was simple. Dark could not cross with light without being neutralized or pushed away. Most dark minions would be destroyed when touched by light. But Lady Dark was too solid to be obliterated. But she could not push past it. To her it was like hitting a wall. The plan was to trap Lady Dark so that Pitch could not complete the spell for the eclipse. Mim said she could create light. She had done it before in a jungle where she thought no one would see her. Tooth stirred. But she also said it would be difficult to maintain for long. But perhaps if her emotions were strong enough?

"Jack...Jack...Jack!"

Jack looked up.

"Hmm?"

"You clearly have none of attention for this tonight, da?"

"I guess. We have a plan, we just need to work with it."

Tooth hovered over and whispered in Jack's ear.

"You should find her a place to rest." Jack rose and took her to a hut and went inside. He lay her down and dusted her with a light touch of snow. It was like a picture. When he reemerged, the others gave him slight questioning looks. Jack then proceeded to enter the hut farthest away from Mim's. A couple centuries and still the Guardians had no tact.

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><p>Mornings came and went. The daylight hours were filled with reviewing plans, practice in holding Mim's light and reviewing the plans some more. A full week went by. Jack had found a way to enhance Mim's light by forming a magnifying ice crystal. Despite that, Mim wavered, passed out even, if she held the light for more than 10 minutes. When this happened, Jack would scoop her up and rouse her. Sometimes he would frown slightly at the Guardians like it was their fault.<p>

Mim put an end to that though. She told him firmly that he couldn't keep cold shouldering his friends. She kissed him afterward and returned to the fire. Jack was still working things out. It was his first time in love. She never told, but the same could be said for Mim.

"Does anyone know what day it is?" Mim asked. North pulled out a strange watch with all sorts of symbols on it. It appeared to have a watch, a compass, and a calendar in it all at the same time. It had more arrows than it had numbers.

"Is Tuesday."

"No the date."

"Oh. I believe is thirty-first of twelfth month."

"It's New Year's Eve! Is there a spirit for that, like a baby or something?"

All the Guardians burst out laughing. Mim couldn't help but join in. It was a good thing only a select few could hear them, or they would have awoken the entire town of Burgess. A New Year's Baby?!

"I see Mythos is having fun with mortal gossip!" Bunny chortled out between breaths.

"Ya know, we never celebrated Christmas as friends." The laughter died down as the statement sank in. They hadn't. Through all the chaos, the idea of spending Christmas together had been lost. But it suddenly seemed important in such a dark time, pun intended.

Soon they were all gathered 'round the fire once more. North hauled a bag out of the sleigh. Tooth took the bag from her hip, Bunny called up a large egg from a tunnel. Sandy merely smiled and Jack retrieved a ice chest that had been hidden in the snow. Mim produce her bracelet bag.

Sandy bounced and waved is small hand when the question arose as to who wanted to go first. His dreamsand swirled around him until 6 pouches appeared. Inside was special sand, that would allow the 6 of them to communicate through dreams. Just a small pinch would do and they could speak inside a realm composed of tender sleep and blissful unconsciousness. Should one wish to communicate, they need only speak the name of the recipient and toss the sand. The corresponding sand of the recipient would glow.

The Guardians all agreed it would be very helpful and thanked Sandy heartily. Mim gave him a great squeeze around his sandy middle. He laughed, silently of course.

Bunny opened the egg to reveal 6 vials holding different colored liquids. He handed them out one by one. Jack's was red, his potion could create a synthetic fire that emitted no heat. Jack could use it as a light, or as a distraction in battle. Tooth's was creamy gold. Hers was capable of allowing her to breath underwater for 3 hours. As a creature of the air and ground, this was a great way to enhance emergency travel. Sandy held a green potion, which would enable him to make his sand solid and real for a period of time. Now he could make tools for others that wouldn't disappear. North was given a blue potion. The potion would stop his metabolism, allowing him to go a week without food or water. Mim held a black potion. She looked at it apprehensively. Bunny said it was a poison that would place the drinker into an enchanted sleep, that could only be awoken by, you guessed it, a true love's kiss. The legends had to come from somewhere right? Bunny himself had a clear vial which could make the drinker invisible until someone realized he was there. Handy in stealth situations.

Mim looked at her vial carefully. Out of everyone here, he gave her the poison. Was it a coincidence or was Bunny insinuating something?

"Oooo, now my turn!" Tooth fluttered.

She withdrew several objects from her bag. She gave them each a pad and pencil. She explained that they were enchanted. If you wrote something down on the pad with the pencil, you would never forget what was written, down to the word. Once you erased it, it would fade like any other memory.

"For example..." She grabbed Bunny's pad and scribbled something down in her looped, connected handwriting.

"I am a gorilla and enjoy social grooming?!" Bunny exclaimed as the words worked themselves into his brain. For the second time that night, the fire was surrounded by laughter. Jack wondered if he could find a chance to write something on Mim's pad, without her noticing.

Mim conceded to have the next turn. Digging through her bag, she pulled out each portrait and gave them to the Guardian which it depicted. North looked upon his in wonder. It showed him, tall and proud, in a maroon background. Out of the background came his coat and him, with his swords flashing. In the bottom corner was a symbol. It was like two little swishes, one black and one white.

Sandy smiled in silent glee at his painting. Sandy stood smartly in the center, arms outspread, and a smile that occupied half his face. But it wasn't the copy of him in the picture that made him so happy. It was all of the things she had painted around him. Ships and trains, books and paintbrushes, all made out of dreamsand. He enjoyed her creativity very much. The symbol was also in the corner of his painting as well.

Jack liked his, but it also brought a little sadness too. It was him here, a the lake, surrounded by the pine trees and oak trees, gliding on his lake. It was him as Jack Frost, gliding across from him as Jackson Overland, over a shattered hole in the ice. The two versions of Jack were connected by one fingertip. Mim came up behind him and wrapped her arms around him. The Jackson smelled of fresh paint. In the corner the two swishes, well, swished.

"That was a recent addition." She said. Jack didn't have to say anything, he didn't have anything to say.

Tooth had a portrait of herself, perched on a tree branch. Her gaze reached out to someplace not pictured, and her arm outstretched before her, holding a sword. Small blurs of color, followed the direction of her arm and she could make out one hovering just by her ear. Baby Tooth! Tooth giggled in happiness. The brush strokes showed her fairies speeding out into the world at her command. It was lovely. Two little blurs were black and white.

Bunny's did not display a battle scene of intense concentration. It was him, sitting in the warren, painting eggs. H was surrounded by small rabbits and hares of every color. They all looked up at him as he painted the small eggs. There was a small pile of finished eggs behind him. He noticed each one had a different pattern. She had come up with individual eggs on her own. Maybe he could pull some ideas for eggs from this painting. One egg had a small black and white pattern on it.

Jack went next. His ice chest lay open at his feet and he pulled out various items of shape and size. To North he gave a block of ice. He said that North could use it for carvings, and it would pull water from the air and refreeze itself. That way he could always use the block over and over.

To Bunny he gave a little ice bunny. Although it wasn't truly alive, it would move around and snuffle at things for short periods of time. He thought Bunny would be less lonely with it around.

Sandy received a couple of ice molds. When he filled them with dreamsand, they would create different shapes every time. Sandy clapped his hands, looking forward to the entertainment these molds were sure to bring.

Tooth took an ice candle from Jack's hands. The candle would capture sunlight and moonlight, and stored it like a glow stick. She could then carry it around. Tooth was delighted, the Palace had a view of stunning sunsets and sunrises, and that light was always the richest and best.

To Mim, he placed an ice tiara onto her brow, detailed in snowflakes and minute filigree. A single crystal dangled in front of her face. She smiled.

"Hey snowflake." Jack said softly. Mim gave him a tight hug and then he sat down and out his arm around Mim as North took the final turn. Everyone got a similar present. North had dug them out of the archives. They were weapons, forged from the dust of ancient stars. They could destroy shadows because they were made from light. They were as old as the Golden Age. They all held them preciously. North already had his sword from Ombric made from stardust. Tooth was given a sword as well. It was one-sided and curved, like the swords from her southeast Asian home. Bunny was given a set of throwing knives which returned to his hands, just like his boomerangs. Sandy was given a collapsible shield which he could hold on his little wrist. They didn't want to have a loss like last time. Jack was given a bayonet which could be fitted to the end of his staff. This made it similar to Nightlight's diamond dagger. Mim was given a single arrow which could be fired from the bow made by her bracelets. It also could be magically retrieved.

The night ended well, with everyone storing their gifts somewhere. But deep in the night 2 figures were biding their time.

* * *

><p>"We have all the exotic ingredients, but we still need one more thing."<p>

"And what would that be Pitchiner, I'm tired of being your lackey."

"You are not my lackey, but you can move around more freely than I, my Lady."

"Keep your excuses, how long will this take?"

"I need only a small piece of moon rock."

"You can't expect me to fly to the moon!"

"No my dear, we only need to steal the chunk of it that's here."

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><p><strong>AN: So that's their next move. What do you think the Guardians should/will do? Post in the reviews which of the Christmas gifts you would want to receive and why! R&R!**

**-Mim**


	47. It Begins Here, It Ends Now

The plan was set and Guardians + Mim were ready. North pulled the chunk of moon rock from his coat and explained that he always kept it on him, because it was the only piece of the moon on earth. It was bait.

They flew the sleigh to an open field, someplace with no trees. The idea was simple. With no trees, Dark would have no place to hide. The timing had to be very precise. The bait would be placed, buried slightly, in the field. Dark would arrive to claim it. Trees meant no hiding, for Dark or the Guardians. Mim would attempt to cover them using an invisibility power. The Guardians had keep Dark occupied until the sun rose. It was a shot in the dark, forgive the pun, but it was a shot.

They flew the sleigh 10 miles away from the field and spent an hour covering it in leaves and brush. North stood aghast at his sleigh. Cleaning it was going to be a nightmare! He frowned on and finished covering it. Then they all began the long walk to the field. Flying was out of the question.

"If Dark comes by air, you'd be seen mate." Bunny stated, when Jack and Mim requested to fly.

"But...but..." Jack stammered.

"He's right. We can't. We'll just have to walk." Mim conceded. Taking Jack's hand, the trek began.

North and Bunny and Mim, were pretty used to walking. Bunny was a creature of the ground and North couldn't fly. Mim had been a normal walking human up until recently and had no problem travelling on foot. Tooth and Jack had more issues though. Tooth hardly ever walked anywhere and found herself flying 15 feet or so and then walking, then flying again and then walking. Jack was just bored of seeing no new scenery in the last hour or so. He was like a kid on a long car drive. Sandy was so short, he ended up sitting on North's backpack so he could keep up.

Jack soon found something to entertain himself though. Bunny walked in a regular pattern. Front paws, back paws, front paws, back paws...Jack smiled. At just the right moment, Bunny saw a flash of light and slipped. He landed squarely on his chin and stomach, which left his big rodent teeth clattering. Mim laughed first but then Jack was doubled over laughing.

"FROST!"

"Shh, Bunny don't yell." Tooth chastised.

"mghmmm...frostbite...mmhgjhn...ice...gnhkfntn...hanging from a tree..." Bunny mumbled on.

Jack continued to walk and laugh and then Mim jumped on his back. He continued to walk as he carried her piggy-back style. She was light as a feather to him. He knew she had a small stature but man, she was like carrying his little sister all those years ago. As they walked, she flicked magical sparks into the air, of all different colors.

"You shouldn't torment him so."

"Says the girl who left him on the roof."

"He deserved it that time."

"Who says he didn't deserve it this time."

"I know you're lying."

"How can you know that?"

"I can feel your emotions."

Jack stopped moving. Oh yeah, that!

Mim fiddled with Jack's hair, just he always did with hers. Short as it was, she still managed to braid small sections. Tromping through the woods in the twilight sent the last glints of sun refracting off of her bracelets. She looked back upon the conversation during a "grilling interrogation" conducted by Bunny, what seemed like month's but was mere weeks ago.

_"What's with the hardware?"_

_"A gift from the Almighty." she pointed to the ceiling of the globe room, skylight open._

_"I've seen and made arm guantlets but glass is not my material of choice." Bunny asked, now more curious than anything. She removed them and allowed him to examine them._

_"You'd think. They're nigh on indestructible as far as I can tell. I accidently dropped one off a cliff and it just landed without a scratch." she responded._

_"How do you accidently drop them off a cliff?" he quizzically asked. She shrugged._

_"Rather small."_

_"It's not for shielding unless I want it to be." Mim said, grinning. Bunny raised a single eyebrow. She raised one in return. With a thought, she morphed a bracelet into a shield. Bunny flinched in surprise but was impressed._

_"So you can make them into anything?"_

_"As long as I know what it is, and what it looks like." she replied, running her fingertips over the smooth glass shield. She returned it to its original state but then morphed the two bracelets together into a longsword. Bunny ran a claw down the edge._

_"Hate to burst yer bubble, but it's a bit blunt."_

_"Yeah, I'm still working on putting a good edge in it, it requires more focus." she frowned and concentrated until the blade could slice the tip of his claw clean off._

_The two fiddled with the jewelry for while longer. She could make a knife out of each but needed both for a spear. If she used both the shield was strong, but could make a shield with one if she needed another for a weapon._

_"Nothing you do is cut and dry is it?" Bunny questioned._

_"Since when is life so simple?" she countered with a quick upturn of the corner of her mouth._

"We're here!"

Indeed they were. Bunny took the chunk of moon rock and buried it a couple hundred feet away. Then they all crouched down in the grass. Only their heads could be seen over the dried green stalks. Mim closed her eyes and concentrated. Jack could feel her shaking. He put his arm over her to steady her. Slowly the 6 of them vanished, but not entirely. They were not completely invisible, just very nearly. If you stood right over them you could see their shapes breathing and shifting slightly. It was one of the limitations of Mim's powers.

Sitting very still, their eyes, scoured the flat plain before them, for any sign of disturbance. None came.

* * *

><p>The soul of Lady Dark flew through the darkness, without shape or body. The moon rock called to her from far away. The starlight prickled her spirit as she descended through the clouds. It grew stronger! Below, lay a lifeless plain of grass and dirt. As she lowered in the atmosphere, she reformed into her body standing firmly in the night. The moon was above, but the quarter moon was shielded by clouds.<p>

Her shadows stretched out all around, and crawled about sensing the presence of the moon's power in that small stone. She walked toward that feeling of powerful energy until it seemed to radiate from the very ground upon which she stood. Her hands brushed away the light layer of dirt and dust to reveal a silver gray stone no bigger that her fist which shimmered like an aura of cool serenity.

The serenity was shatter as she felt her shadows being sliced and cut and struck and impaled. Rising with a cry of anger and pain, she gazed out to see 6 figures, appear as if from mist and attack with weapons of light.

The ending had begun.

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><p><strong>AN: So close! I'm planning on ending this Volume with a solid 50 chapters. Let me know what you think of this Volume in the reviews! So far I have gotten 17 over the course of 4 months. ****Please! Review?**

**-Mimic**


	48. The Final Strike, in More Ways than One

A gleaming arrow landed to shatter a shadow just 10 feet from Lady Dark. The light burned and she staggered back a few steps. Clearly, shadows were not good enough. She whistled low and strong and horde upon horde of dark nightmares rode down from the sky. The fighting became heated and intense as the stakes rose higher and minutes raced on.

Tooth and Bunny were at a disadvantage. Both had a great amount of open skin and so they kept well away from Lady Dark. Darkensia would be their downfall if one of them was to be touched by the dreaded dark disease. North could battle groups of enemies all at once and he and Mim stuck together. He had to get her close enough to Lady Dark so she could finish this. Jack was on the other side, making sure Dark couldn't back up and retreat. Sandy had a perimeter made of sand keeping everything contained.

"MIM!" North called as a nightmare slammed into his side. He beat it back with his fists and drew his sword in a gliding motion, decapitating 3 of the menacing horses. She dive rolled over a squad of shadow and fired her arrow over and over.

"Yeah?" she yelled, over the tumult of clattering weaponry and screaming beasts! She and North held the line. By conjuring a massive shield, they pushed behind it and forced league after league of dark monsters to break under the force.

"I am going to clear a hole just before sun breaks horizon. You must be ready!" North called as a wave of nightmares separated them. She shoved back but North had disappeared into the fray. She sighed, she would be ready.

Tooth flew above it all and saw the positions of her teammates. Sandy contained the inner circle of fighting and he compressed it, so fewer and fewer nightmares could occupy the space and attack. Bunny dealt with adversaries on all sides and struck out with both boomerang and blade. With Jack fanning out ice behind Lady Dark, his violent fury created a snow which began to fall thick in the sky. Tooth was then grabbed by a shadow warrior riding a nightmare. It had her ankle and she struggled to break free. His other hand grabbed her left wing and she was engulfed in the horse's black fire.

Bunny lashed out hard and never allowed his focus to waver as he battles on all sides with no one to help him. They horses pressed on, because as he destroyed one, another rose forward to avenge it and the hooves pounded closer and closer. He knew he wouldn't win this fight. Thumping a tunnel, he dive into the earth, but a soldier had his ears and he blacked out.

"STOP!"

Lady Darks voice thundered out into the night and all at once, the nightmares and soldiers and warriors and monsters all knelt to the ground. Sandy, North, Jack and Mim could all see each other clearly. Bunny and Tooth stood beside Dark, with eyes blacked out with energy seen before.

"Why are you fighting my dear shadows, when your friends are dying to have their turn?"

Tooth and Bunny charged out with cries of hatred and ferocity.

The nightmares and creatures stayed put as the Guardians held their own, against their own. Tooth bore down on Mim, wings and sword flashing.

"YOU THINK YOU CAN RUSH IN AND BE ONE OF US!"

Mim ducked and rolled as Tooth took a shot at her head. She kept being evasive as Tooth assaulted her with insults and words.

"HOW CAN WE TRUST A GIRL WHO CAN SHAPESHIFT?"

The words hurt but Mim had keep control before she actually hurt Tooth. Not far away, Bunny threw anything he could reach at Sandy and North. Sandy was using his shield but he didn't know how to defeat his friend. North walked up and wrapped his massive arms around the Pooka. He sustained several cuts on his arms but he Bunny who kept thrashing.

"YOU KEEP GOING ON ABOUT CHRISTMAS YOU BLIGHTER!"

"Bunny! Please! Try to calm down and regain your senses!" North roared.

"YOU ARE NOT THE LEADER, BUT YOU ACT LIKE SOME BIG SHOT!"

"Bunny I'm sorry! You are one of my friends! Control yourself." North responded. The Darkness in Bunny's eyes faded a little bit. How does one fight Darkness? With Light. Mim seemed to find other ways however. As she circled around Tooth at lightning speed she found what she needed. As this happened. Jack tried to sneak up on Dark. The plan had gone crazy but he had a slim chance of catching her off guard. He felt something crawl up his ankle. He turned and saw the eyes of Lady Dark. A tentacle of Darkness reeled him in until she suspended him by his neck. It became difficult to breathe.

Mim flashed and delivered a swift hit to the base of Tooth's shoulders, right between her wings. It paralyzed her wings and knocked her out for a few moments. Enough to wipe out the Darkensia. But as she delivered that blow, she saw Dark slip a back knife between Jack's ribs.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Ummmm...Review?**

**-Mimic**


	49. At Last, But not Quite

"NO!"

Mim was screaming. Things flashed before her eyes. The past ran through her mind like a movie, set to fast forward. She could see all the bullies at her school, who didn't understand her, and ridiculed her. She could see Cal always yelling her and never caring except when he was being overprotective and controlling! All the days when she felt awful, and hated the world she lived in...played back.

But then she saw Jack, dancing with her at the masquerade and chasing her and pulling off her mask. She remembered Jack chasing her through the sky and kissing her and hugging her and showing her all of the wonderful things she could do! She saw the beauty of the spirit world and how she belonged there...with him.

This was not how that should end! It wasn't balanced! Sure, the world was filled with chaos and idiots and it will never be perfectly balanced, but there are some things she can change, and Mim was not going to pass them by!

The tears streaming down her face began to sparkle. The light inside her made its way to the outside, and Mim began to shine. Her hair became like rays of the sun, her eyes like the stars. There was no fire, no heat...just light. That light forced all present to shield their eyes and cower. Dark released Jack who fell to the ground, unmoving.

Mim crashed full force into Lady Dark who pushed back with vicious power. The two were circling and charging repeatedly with such speed and rage that they became like to orbs, one black and one white, merging and morphing in the sky, deadly and beautiful.

Deep within they swirl of dark and light. The voices collided somewhere unseen.

"Why! You hurt us why?"

"I need to be free!"

"Killing won't set you free!"

"I never meant to kill!"

"Yet you stab him!"

"At any cost!"

"The price is too high!"

"At any COST!"

The swirls began to rise higher in the sky, parting the clouds and ascending into the atmosphere. The swirls narrowed and separated and soon became to rays of energy. Flying upwards and away. Space was getting closer and closer...

"I'm so sorry."

Mim looked up and saw Lady Dark utter those words. The same words she had spoken that day in the Black Forest. Mim let go and Dark floated into space.

"Now we're even." Mim called with the tiniest of smiles.

"Not quite!" Dark said and she shot a bolt down to earth. Those were the last words heard by Lady Dark.

Mim began to fall. She turned into a ball of fire, to escape the crisping heat of re-entry. Soon she could breathe great gasps of air and as she fell, she felt cool arms catch her above the clouds. Familiar white hair came into view.

"Never scare me like that again." Jack said, as always with a grin. Mim twisted and kissed him. Her arms wrapped around him and had no intent of letting go. But they did as soon as they reached the ground. Soon everyone's arms were around everybody. They had did it.

As they released each other, they all turned to see the moon shining down with approval. Vows were spoken and congratulations given but in the end a promise was made. They were the Guardians, alone they were great, together they were amazing. They were ready to face anything, and they belonged this way. No one understood that more than MIMIC: GUARDIAN OF BALANCE.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Review?**

**-Mimic**


	50. Is this an Ending, I'm not Sure?

Deep in his cave, Pitch mixed the final ingredients together. All he needed was the moon rock. he heard a thump lightly behind him. He turned to see a tall, dark, regal shadow glide toward him.

"Ah, my dear. You have returned."

"Indeed." a voice responded. It sounded like Lady Dark's.

"Well hand over the moon rock and you can be free."

"Too late."

Pitch turned once more to see not Lady Dark but Mim...and the other 5 Guardians. They seemed to be conversing. Pitch was too shocked to call nightmares.

"Who would like the honor?" Jack said.

"Not me, I got Dark." Mim responded.

"I'll do this one," Bunny said cracking his knuckles, "Tooth got the last time."

Pitch braced himself for the beating sure to come. But Bunny only grasped his jaw and forced a black potion down his throat. Pitch collapsed. They set him on a bed just to be polite. They left the vial from the potion on his bedside and left to celebrate. They didn't know that a small amount of the black potion was still in the bottle.

"You think he'll ever wake up?" Bunny asked.

"Nah, Pitch has no one who love him!" North joked as they left.

* * *

><p>Far in the sky, Lady Dark cruised through space past Jupiter and off to see the universe. Free at last.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I did it! I finished a story! Sequel already in preparation. Release date will be after July 4th. Happy 4th to all you Americans, and I hope you stick around to read the sequel Volume II: The Adventures! All my illustrations are now on deviantart. Search MIMitationBalance and you will find all my stuff! Reviews anyone?**

**-Mimic**


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